Chosen Legacy
by PinkAtHart
Summary: The final installation in the Chosen/Legacy Rangers trilogy, as well as an indirect sequel to Stone Warriors. The new generation of the Chosen must fight in a final battle against Zordon's evil father Zell. With the Legacy Rangers by their side, will the new Chosen be able to do what the previous generation could not?
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE: PROLOGUE**

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _Welcome to the final installment of the_ Chosen/Legacy Rangers _trilogy! If you did not read_ Legacy Rangers, _please read that first, as this is a direct sequel to that fic and will contain a ton of spoilers. The prequel is_ The Chosen, _and while it would be very helpful to read that fic before this one, it's not required. Also, the "side story" I wrote,_ Stone Warriors, _ended up being directly and majorly connected to this fic. If you didn't read it, I'll do my best to explain things here, but if you do want to check it out, please read it before this fic but after_ Legacy Rangers _to avoid spoilers. With that said, welcome back! I hope you enjoy the conclusion of this journey. We're starting things off dark, so be prepared!_

 _ **ZELL**_

His strength was finally back where it needed to be. The coming task would be quite draining, but well worth sacrificing a bit of his energy once he achieved the end result.

"Master..." His pet Eltarian sorceress, Felina, said softly. "I have the last ingredient you requested."

"Excellent, my dear. Bring it here," Zell instructed her.

Felina dragged the ingredient into the room. The terrified girl staring back at him screamed at the sight of him. "Hush, my dear girl," Zell said softly. "You have nothing to fear." His voice soothed the girl as she fell under his spell. "What is your name?" He asked.

"Jodi," the girl replied in a trance. "Jodi Hammond McGill."

"Hammond..." Zell repeated. He looked to Felina. "Is she the daughter of...?"

"The Yellow Turbo Ranger? Indeed," Felina said with a wicked cackle. "With her amnesia, she was only living a half-life anyway. I disposed of her this morning and abducted the girl."

"Excellent work, Felina! This child shall do well for my purposes today." Zell smiled. "Leave us now, my dear. The most important part of the ritual must be done in solitude."

"Of course, Great Zell." Felina bowed to him before leaving him alone with the child.

"Come closer, my dear," Zell said to Jodi. She approached him, still under his control. "My apologies, Sweet Jodi, but I fear this is necessary to complete my work. Fear not... You will feel nothing, my child." He did that not out of kindness, but out of necessity. This girl was the daughter of a former Power Ranger. Surely, she would fight if he released her from his spell, and while he enjoyed that at times, today he needed everything to go precisely according to plan.

He pulled out the talisman he needed and put it on the ground, surrounded by the other ingredients. He summoned the evil fire and flames shot out of the floor. Zell cut his hand, pouring some of his blood into the fire. Then, without warning, he slashed Jodi's throat. He held her over the flames until he bled her dry, and then he tossed her body aside unceremoniously. He had no use for her now that she'd served her purpose, but perhaps the Alchemist would think of a use for the parts she left behind.

"Rise!" Zell said into the flames.

A red light burst from the talisman and began dancing in the flames. Slowly, the glowing red form became solid, taking on the shape of a body. The flames shot up higher, consuming the body, and for a moment, Zell saw nothing but fire. Then, she emerged.

"Daughter..." Zell said in admiration. The blue woman had long blonde hair and blood red eyes. She smiled at him.

"Father..." She said in her lovely Australian accent.

"Welcome back, my dear." Zell embraced her for the first time since the day he had sent her to Angel Grove.

"Is it time?" She asked eagerly.

"Soon, my dear girl... _Very_ soon, the world shall meet the _real_ Katherine Hillard."

 _ **CALEB**_

He'd been sitting in the park with his boyfriend Thorn, peacefully snuggled in his arms, when the vision hit. Caleb had seen a lot of scary things since he'd begun having visions, but this was by far the most terrifying.

Panic seized him. He suddenly flashed back on the day Katherine Hillard, Thorn's aunt, had injected him with venom that sent him into anaphylactic shock. Caleb had died in Thorn's arms and journeyed to the Underworld, where a God bent on torturing every descendant his biological father dared to have had immediately grabbed him. At the time, Caleb hadn't known his birth father, Caius. He also hadn't known Thorn was a Power Ranger. Thorn's twin sister Sage, a Shaman, had gone after him and sent him back to the world of the living. He'd woken up in the morgue, completely terrified and confused. Sage had spent two weeks in a coma while she tried to escape from the Underworld, and she'd ultimately made it back alive. Ever since, Caleb had possessed the abilities to have visions and to see the dead.

Caleb was clawing at his throat, desperately trying to get air. "Caleb! Caleb, it's okay!" Thorn said. He'd gotten sort of used to seeing Caleb flash back on dying. Caleb felt Thorn reach into his pocket and pull something out. It was one of his mother's talismans. Casey's talismans _always_ helped Caleb ground. In life, she'd been a Shaman. When she'd died, she'd ultimately destroyed the evil Underworld God who'd been after Caleb and his father, and she'd taken over. Now, whenever Caleb ended up in the Underworld, Casey released him so he could journey back. That was the legacy Caleb had inherited from Caius, but before he knew that, Zell had used it to bring himself back.

"Caleb, _ground._ You're okay. You're _safe,"_ Thorn said, clinging to him tightly.

Caleb finally opened his eyes and started breathing again. "What happened?" Thorn asked patiently. "What did you see?"

"Kat..." Caleb whispered in shock.

"Cat? What cat? I don't see any-"

"No... Not cat... _Kat._ As in Katherine."

Thorn stared at him. "Wait, you saw my Aunt Kat?" He asked. "She can't haunt you. Liza trapped her soul in the necklace-"

"She's _alive,_ Thorn..." Caleb said in horror. "Zell brought her back."

"Caleb, are you sure it already happened?"

"I'm positive... And she's different, Thorn. She _looks_ Eltarian... She's got blue skin... And her eyes were blood red..." His chest began to tighten in fear again.

Thorn wrapped his arms around Caleb protectively. "It's okay, Caleb... I won't let her touch you ever again."

"Thorn... I have to tell the Chosen... This is it. This is the beginning."

Thorn nodded. "I'll call Sage... And... Well, I guess she should call my uncle."

"Tommy's not going to handle this."

Thorn sighed. "I know... But he's got no choice. We knew the other shoe would drop eventually. Start getting in touch with your team, and I'll handle mine."

"Thorn... I love you."

"I know. I love you, too." Thorn kissed him. "It'll be okay, Caleb. You're not going to face her alone."

Caleb nodded. He was terrified, but that didn't matter now. He had to warn his team. He headed across the park, knowing where he'd find the leader of the Chosen.

 _ **OLLIE**_

It seemed like any other day. Ollie's father had taken him and his brothers to the park. At nearly sixteen, Ollie was the oldest of his brothers. Luke followed behind him at twelve, while Vinny had just turned ten, and Robby, the monster of the bunch, was going to be six soon enough.

Vinny sat reading on a bench, hiding away in his own world. Vinny had always been the quiet one, but ever since Zell had murdered their mother in front of them, Vinny had been struggling much more. He had refused to speak for a terrifyingly long time until Aisha's daughter Imani had told him her mother died, too. Slowly, Imani had been drawing Vinny back out of his shell.

Luke's journey had been even harder. Not only had it recently come out that Luke was a twin, but everything had fallen into chaos immediately after Ollie brought their sister Lucy home. It had also come out that their mother had been the daughter of Zordon's twin sister Anise, making Luke and Lucy the next generation of twins in the line. That meant Zell had a price on their heads, and Luke was terrified. Luke had always been pretty fearless, but a kid could only take so much, especially since he'd been the one desperately trying to hold the family together while everything fell apart. Currently, Luke was chasing Robby around as usual, and that made Ollie feel better.

"Fight stance!" Robby demanded, jumping in front of Ollie.

Ollie assumed a fighting stance. "Come at me!" He told his youngest brother.

"Ay-ya!" Robby screamed before throwing a pretty impressive kick. Ollie absorbed the blow, putting on a good show like it had actually hurt.

"Ollie..." Caleb said from nearby.

"Fight stance!" Robby demanded of Thorn, who stood with Caleb.

Thorn had been doing Martial Arts since he started walking, so he humored Robby with a smile on his face. Caleb, however, _wasn't_ smiling. Since that rarely happened, Ollie knew something was wrong.

"Jason... Can I borrow Ollie?" Caleb asked.

Ollie's father frowned. "Of course... Is everything okay?" He asked.

"No," Caleb said softly.

His father nodded. "Go on. I've got the kids."

Caleb led Ollie away from the others. "Ollie... We're in trouble," Caleb said.

"What's going on?" Ollie asked, immediately serious. He had gotten pretty good at flipping the switch and turning into the team leader.

"I had a vision, Ollie... Zell's nearly ready, and... And he brought Katherine back."

Ollie froze. Kat Hillard had been a pretty big part of his life for a while. His father was exceptionally close to her husband, Tommy Oliver. In fact, Ollie was legally named Oliver Zachary Scott, after Tommy and his father's other best friend, Zack Taylor. Tommy was even Ollie's Godfather. Zack had been Luke's. Tommy and Kat's daughter Katie had even been like a sister to the boys until she'd turned evil... But Ollie tried not to think about that. He also tried not to think about what Kat had done to him when she'd first turned evil but no one had realized it. Even though his father had insisted he get some therapy, Ollie still felt like Kat abusing him was his fault. He didn't want to dwell on it now, but her return terrified him.

 _You're the leader of the Chosen,_ he reminded himself. _You can't give in to that fear._ "Are you sure Kat's back?" He asked.

"Positive," Caleb said. "Other than Thorn, you're the first one I've told."

"Man, Tommy's going to flip... This is the _last_ thing he needs."

"I don't know when he'll start coming after us, Ollie, but we don't have much time."

"I'll pass it along that we need to be on high alert..." Ollie could see the fear in Caleb's eyes. "Take Thorn and go to Caius. You'll be safe there."

"Thorn told Sage. She's probably plotting ninety-nine ways to destroy their aunt as we speak... But I don't think it will be that simple. Believe me, I know Sage can do _anything,_ but if the Universe wants Kat here, she'll just come back again."

"We'll stop her, Caleb. We'll stop them _both."_

Caleb nodded. "Are you sure you don't need me to tell everyone else?"

"I'm the leader... It's my job. I've got this. Go on. You should be with Thorn and Caius." He almost called Caius Caleb's dad, but Caleb still hadn't crossed that bridge. Caleb's adopted parents had been brutally butchered by Zell and left for Caleb to find less than a year ago. Caleb had barely survived an attack from Zell right after he found them, and although he functioned pretty well, he wasn't quite the happy, carefree guy he'd always been before. There was a haunted look in his eyes now that never fully went away.

"Call me if anything happens."

"I will." With that, Ollie sent Caleb on his way. It was time to put everyone on high alert.

 _ **TAMMY**_

She sat at her father's grave having a picnic. Tammy loved her mother and brothers, but she'd always been daddy's little girl. She missed him fiercely and this was the only way she could spend time with him anymore. She almost envied Caleb for being able to see the dead, but then she remembered how hard that was for him, and everything he'd gone through. Caleb had seen his parents as ghosts before he'd discovered their bodies. Tammy wondered if having that slight warning had softened the blow at all. There'd been no warning with her dad. One second, she and Jason had been attacked. The next, her dad took a blow meant for Jason and begged Tammy to sing for him as he died.

She forced that image out of her head and remembered her father's last instructions to her... She had to stay strong and be brave. She had to keep fighting. She traced the words on his tombstone, _Zachary Taylor, Lived, Loved, & Laughed, _and did not cry as she took a deep breath.

"I miss you, Daddy..." She said softly. "I love you." She began singing to his headstone, something she did pretty often, and watched as her light filled the cemetery. Even with the sun up, it could be seen. It comforted Tammy, and she knew it would comfort any other mourners who happened to end up in its path.

After she'd eaten and left her father's part of the meal beside his grave, Tammy looked around. She was alone. She pulled out her sword. "Look what I can do now," she said to her father. She started practicing moves. She fought in a practiced but unpredictable manner, a trait she apparently shared with her Chosen ancestor, Raven. She worked especially well with Ollie, Jason's son, and her best friend in the world. He was also sort of, unofficially, maybe, kind of, probably her boyfriend... But they hadn't actually said that out loud.

"You're favoring the left... Are you hurting?" A voice asked.

Tammy let out an undignified squeak and spun around. "Ollie! Don't _do_ that, you jerk!" She cried out. Then, she put her sword aside and hugged him. "I was literally just thinking about you and now you're here... Crazy timing. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt... But we've got trouble," Ollie said.

Tammy turned serious immediately. "What's up?"

"Answer me first. Are you in pain?"

"My right side's a little tender," Tammy admitted reluctantly.

"I _knew_ you got hurt yesterday! We should have had Taylor heal you. Kevin came at you _way_ too hard in training!"

"Ollie, relax. I _asked_ Kevin not to go easy on me, and he apologized when the hit connected."

"He's older, and he's had _way_ more training-"

"Ollie, I'm _fine-"_

"The Samurai Rangers are supposed to be disciplined! What the hell was he thinking picking on the youngest person in the room?"

"Oliver! _Stop!"_ Tammy yelled at him. He did because almost no one, especially Tammy, ever called him that. "Take a chill pill and bring it back down about eighty notches. I'm _sore,_ Ollie. That's it. I'll be fine, and Kevin even had Jayden check me to make sure of that. I _asked_ Kevin to train with me because I know he's intense and can help me get stronger. Monsters won't go easy on me, Ollie. _Zell_ won't go easy on me. I have to learn how to deal with that, and you have to let me, because you can't shelter me in a real battle."

Ollie took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Tam," he said softly. "I just don't like seeing you hurt."

"I know. Now stop being a butthead and tell me why you're here."

"Zell brought his daughter back... And I don't mean Anise."

"Wait... He brought Tommy's wife back from the dead?" Tammy asked in shock.

"He did."

Tammy took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "How do we handle this?"

"We get ready for a fight. That's all we can do right now... Just be prepared."

She finally put her sword away and began packing up the picnic. "Who else do you need to contact?" She asked.

"Everyone but Caleb. He had a vision and came straight to me."

"Great. I'll go with you."

"Tammy, you can stay if you want to."

"It won't bring him back, Ollie. This can wait. The team needs me more than he does right now." She kissed her father's headstone. "I love you, Daddy. I'll see you soon," she promised him. She took Ollie's arm. "Let's get out of here."

 _ **ANGIE**_

Sometimes, when she was really happy, magic happened. Angie noticed that the couch seemed to be levitating slightly off the ground as she curled up on her boyfriend Kenny watching cheesy movies while he held her. There was no safer place in the world than Kenny's arms.

"Oops..." She said with embarrassment as the couch continued to rise.

Kenny finally noticed. "Whoa!" He said with a laugh as they hovered over a foot off of the floor.

"Sorry! Okay... Easy, Couch... Back where you go..." Angie instructed it. The couch obeyed and gently returned them to the floor. "I guess I stopped paying attention and magic slipped out... I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize! That was kind of _fun,"_ Kenny said with a grin. He gave her a quick kiss to reassure her that everything was fine.

"Do you think if the others were home they would have freaked out?"

"Everyone's used to your powers, Angie. We love you exactly as you are."

Angie still struggled to understand that at times. Not too long ago, the daughter of Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd had been known purely as the Sorceress, and her mission in life had been to destroy the Power Rangers. Now, she was in love with one of the Power Rangers, her parents were no longer evil, and she was part of a team that was destined to destroy the son of a bitch who'd made her parents evil to begin with. It was strange how much had changed in so short an amount of time, but Angie treasured her new life.

The doorbell rang. "Were you expecting company?" Angie asked.

"Nope... Mom and Billy are out with K and Ziggy, and Josh is with Taylor. It's only supposed to be us," Kenny said. He headed to the door and opened it in confusion. "Ollie? Tammy? Is everything okay?" He asked.

"We were hoping to find Angie, Taylor, or both of them here," Ollie said.

"I'm here," Angie said, joining them at the door. "Taylor's out with Josh. What's going on?"

"Zell made a move," Tammy explained.

Angie immediately tensed. Kenny automatically took her hand in his and squeezed it. Kenny knew exactly what Zell had done to Angie when he first came back from the dead, and even though Angie was okay most of the time, she was still traumatized. She just held on to rage at what Zell had done to her parents way before she ever existed to get her through the fear.

"What did he do?" Angie asked.

"He brought Katherine Hillard back from the dead," Tammy said quickly.

"Wait, _Kat's_ back?!" Kenny asked in horror. "But Liza trapped her in the necklace after Ka-" He cut himself off. "After she was killed," he finished.

It was Angie's turn to squeeze Kenny's hand in support. He never talked about Katie, Tommy and Kat's daughter, who had been his best friend in the world until the day she betrayed her team. Katie had murdered Mike from the Samurai team because he protected Liza, and then she'd tried to kill her boyfriend Jayden. Mentor Ji had died to protect Jayden, and Katie had run off. When Kenny tried to get through to her and stop her, she'd tried to kill him. Thorn had been forced to kill his cousin to stop her. No one liked to talk about it, but Kenny couldn't even bring himself to say her name most of the time anymore.

"We knew Zell had the necklace. I guess he figured out how to free her," Ollie said.

"Maybe my mom can help," Angie suggested. "She kept Kat as a pet for a while. I'm sure she knows her weaknesses."

"I need to warn my mom... And Tommy," Kenny said.

"Caleb's the one who realized it. He was with Thorn, who called Sage, and I'm sure she went straight to Tommy," Ollie said.

"Kat had it in for my mom... She became convinced Mom was trying to steal Tommy from her. She might hurt her."

"Kim's, like, _extremely_ pregnant with Billy's kid," Ollie said. "That should squash any rumors of Kim and Tommy getting back together."

"She's irrational," Angie said. "My mom said she was really unhinged by the end. Kenny's right, he should warn Kimberly... And I need to tell my parents."

Ollie nodded. "Do what you need to. Tammy and I will get in touch with the others. I'll text you and let you know where to meet us if we're getting together," he promised.

"Be careful, Ollie," Angie said, giving him and Tammy each a quick hug.

"We'll see you soon," Tammy said as she and Ollie left.

"So much for our date," Kenny said with a laugh.

"Duty calls," Angie said with a smile she used to hide how nervous she was. She had a feeling the battle they'd known was coming had just begun.

 _ **BRIAN**_

He couldn't focus, so he'd gone for a walk. Brian loved exploring Angel Grove. Although he'd been born and raised in Korea, Brian had been obsessed with America and its culture for as long as he could remember. It drove his mother, Trini, a bit crazy that he had insisted from the age of twelve that his name was Brian. She still stubbornly called him by his birth name, Bu. She was back in Korea with his dad and his little sisters. Brian lived with Elena Taylor and her three kids, Tammy, John, and Tate, in the guest house on Tommy Oliver's property. Elena had been Brian's "sponsor" until he'd become a legal adult, and now, he was in college. He was well on his way to becoming a citizen of the United States, which was his dream, but for now he had a student Visa. That was good, because Brian was part of the Chosen, and he was destined to be in Angel Grove with his team.

Brian created a flame in his hands and let it dance as he let his mind wander. The flame only went out when he heard someone singing nearby. He was drawn to the music and wandered closer, watching in awe as she began the song again.

 _"Kiss me too fiercely, hold me too tight. I need help believing you're with me tonight,"_ Liza Campbell sang. Liza was Tia's younger and Taylor's older sister, one of Aisha's many children. She wasn't chosen, but she was dating Zedd, so she was close enough. It wasn't a secret that Liza was Galaxia Campbell's doppelganger, both physically and in personality. She didn't have Galaxia's British accent, but she acted very much like her Chosen ancestor. She _was,_ however, the Yellow Ranger on the Mighty Morphin Legacy team.

 _"My wildest dreaming could not foresee lying beside you with you wanting me..."_ Liza sang on. She was dancing, too, and Brian was a bit enchanted as he watched her bring _Elphaba_ to life. _"And just for this moment, as long as you're mine... I've lost all resistance and crossed some borderline. And if it turns out it's over too fast, I'll make every last moment last... As long as you're mine..."_

Brian easily swooped into her path, picking up the dance, and sang grandly, _"Maybe I'm brainless, maybe I'm wise, but you've got me seeing through different eyes. Somehow I've fallen under your spell, and somehow I'm feeling it's up that I fell!"_

Liza was grinning at him in surprise, but she didn't miss a beat. Together, they sang, _"Every moment, as long as you're mine, I'll wake up my body and make up for lost time."_

 _"Say there's no future for us as a pair,"_ Brian sang.

In unison, they sang, _"And though I may know, I don't care. Just for this moment, as long as you're mine, come be how you want to and see how bright we shine. Borrow the moonlight until it is through and know I'll be here holding you, as long as you're mine..."_

 _"Fiyero?"_ Liza asked, still in character.

 _"What is it?"_ Brian followed her lead.

 _"It's just, for the first time, I feel... Wicked,"_ Liza finished . As the song ended, she looked at Brian and said excitedly, "I didn't know you could sing! "

"I am _all_ about American culture, Liza, " Brian said with a grin, "And _nothing_ screams American Culture more than Broadway."

"You're _really_ good... You should audition with me!"

"Audition for what, exactly?"

"The community theater's production of _Grease._ I mean, it's not a masterpiece, but it's still a classic. I miss acting. This is my best chance to get involved again."

" _Grease?"_ Brian repeated. "You know what I think of that? Why, it's... _Automatic... It's systematic... It's... Hyyyyyydromatic..."_

Liza laughed and flashed him her winning grin. "I never knew you and I had so much in common, Brian," she said.

"I am a man of _many_ mysteries," Brian said with a smirk. "And I've never auditioned for anything before, but it sounds like fun. I'm a total ham anyway. Performing is in my soul."

"But can you hand jive?"

"In my _sleep._ I also do a mean jazz square!"

Liza looked thrilled. "You just became my new best friend!"

Brian was about to reply when he spotted Ollie and Tammy. He flashed them his grandest smile in greeting. "My friends!" He said. Then, he saw the slightest hint of concern in Tammy's eyes. In his time in Angel Grove, Brian had always lived with Tammy, first with his mom and Zack, then with just Elena as a guardian. He'd come to view her as his adopted little sister. After Zack died, he'd become even more protective of her.

"What's going on?" Brian asked knowingly.

"Zell brought Kat back," Ollie said.

"What? The bitch is _back?!"_ Liza asked furiously. Liza had kept Katherine's soul in a necklace she wore around her neck for a while. During that time, she could hear the evil woman complaining and threatening her constantly. During the big battle to save Tommy, Katherine and Tommy's daughter Katie had slashed Liza's throat to steal the necklace and get it to Zell. Although Mike, the Green Samurai Ranger, had tried to stop her from escaping, Katie had killed him, leaving Liza for dead. Zedd had saved Liza's life, but the necklace hadn't been on Katie when Thorn had to kill her.

 _Our lives are like some crazy American soap opera,_ Brian thought with a grin. Then he forced himself to turn serious as he asked, "What do we do now?"

"Kill that bitch dead again and destroy her soul this time?" Liza suggested. "I volunteer!"

"As great as that sounds, we're still in the planning stages," Tammy said with a laugh.

"I'll text you later when I know what's what, Brian," Ollie promised. "We still need to warn Tia and Taylor."

"I could go find Tia for you," Brian said, perking up. Brian was head over heels in crush with Tia, but she wasn't really looking to date anyone, so he settled for basking in her glorious presence as often as she'd allow it. Although Tia frequently tried to push everyone away, Brian never took the hint and stayed loyally by her side. She'd slowly come to accept that he wasn't going away and now, they were friends. They were the oldest of the Chosen, and they went to college together.

"Stalker," Tammy teased him.

Ollie covered up his laughter with a fake cough. "It's okay, Brian. I'm the leader. I should be the one to tell everyone," he said kindly.

Brian smiled casually. "Okay," he said. "Be safe, guys. I'll see you later." He watched them walk away, then turned to Liza. "Do you think we're in trouble?"

"What I think is that Kat never reached her true evil potential," Liza said. "And everything you guys think you know about her is wrong. But no, we're not in trouble... Yet. We can totally take this bitch, but only if we treat her as a brand new threat, and not like Tommy's dead wife."

"I never knew her, so no problem," Brian promised. He hoped the others would be able to do it, too, but he knew some of them might have a harder time.

 _We've got this,_ he told himself stubbornly. _We're Chosen. We can do_ anything, _as long as we do it together._ After all, the original Chosen had only failed because Zell turned Zedd evil before he could become an official part of the team. Brian's generation was determined to learn from the mistakes of the original team.

 _ **TIA**_

She could hear her little sisters talking nearby. Tia was trying to study, but the tone Imani used concerned her. "Just a short break," she said aloud. After all, she was babysitting while Tanya was at work. Tanya had become the legal guardian to a large number of children less than a year earlier. Most were Tia's siblings. Tia was the oldest, followed by her half-siblings, Taylor, Tye, and Tessa, and the only sibling she'd had until the other three had been born and aged, Imani. Tia and Imani shared a father and mother, but Taylor, Tye, and Tessa were Zedd's children with their mother Aisha. That was complicated and horrible, but in spite of the details, Tia loved the three of them just as fiercely as she loved Imani. That had been proven when Tia killed their mother to stop her from murdering Taylor. Although it was the hardest thing Tia had ever had to do, anytime she took one look at Taylor, she knew she'd do it again.

Also in Tanya's custody was Angie, who shared Tia's half-siblings because she was Zedd's daughter. Then, there was Liza, who was Aisha's daughter with a different evil man whose conception had involved force and time travel. Liza was outrageous, but very much a Campbell sorceress. Finally, there was Maddie, Tanya's daughter, who'd once been both Chosen and Power Ranger but was now neither. Despite sacrificing her powers to save them from falling into Zell's hands, Maddie was still a force to be reckoned with, and was easily the bravest person Tia had ever met.

"Shhhh! One at a time, please," Imani said, reminding Tia that she'd decided to check on the little ones before getting distracted.

Tia headed into the backyard. Tessa immediately ran into her arms, terrified. Tia looked toward Imani and understood why. There were several animals in their large backyard. Winifred the horse had come out of her stables. The dog, cat, and rabbit Imani had talked Tanya into letting her rescue were there, too. What alarmed Tia was that several other animals were there as well. The birds, stray cats, and neighborhood dogs were alarming enough as they all made noise at once, but when you added in the deer, foxes, coyotes, wolves, and even a few bears, it was no wonder Tessa had panicked.

"Mani... What is going on?" Tia demanded.

"They just showed up, I swear," her ten-year-old sister replied quickly. "I didn't call them here."

"Well, tell them to go home," Tia said practically. "Tanya will be angry if she returns to find the zoo has come to our backyard. And the neighbors may call the police."

"Tia, something's _wrong,"_ Imani insisted. "It's just, with everyone talking at once, I can't make sense of what they're saying." Imani had inherited their ancestor Galaxia's gift for communicating with animals, while Tia had gotten her ability to open portals and her strong magic. Their sister Liza had inherited all of Galaxia's powers, which made Tia wonder why she was a Power Ranger instead of being Chosen, but Tia was older. She supposed that was the reason she'd inherited the destiny.

"Just focus, Mani. Ask Winnie to explain," Tia suggested.

Imani nodded, looking at the horse. "What the heck is going on, Winnie? Why is everyone so worked up?" She asked. She listened to Winnie patiently before saying in a tone that sent a chill through Tia's entire soul, "He's preparing to come for us."

"Who is, Mani?" Tia asked, fearing she already knew the answer.

"The bad man... The one who rides on storms."

Imani never called Zell by his name, but Tia knew that was who she meant. So did Tessa, who clung to Tia more tightly.

"It is alright, Tessa," Tia said soothingly. "He cannot harm us here."

"But we aren't always here," Tessa pointed out with fear in her voice.

"I will protect you from him. So will Taylor and Angie."

"His daughter has risen... Time is up," Imani said, repeating what Winifred must have been telling her.

"Tia... I'm scared," Tessa whispered.

"Thank your friends for the warning and tell them to return to their homes," Tia told Imani. "Everything will be fine, Girls."

The doorbell rang. Tia walked inside to answer the door. Tessa hid behind her shyly as she opened it. "Ollie... Tammy... I already know," Tia said.

"How?" Ollie asked.

"An army of animals is currently in the backyard talking to Imani."

Tammy perked up. "Can I...?" She asked.

"Go ahead. They will not attack with my sister there."

Tammy cheerfully ran toward the backyard, presumably to see all the animals. Ollie shook his head. "It's been a rough day," he said.

Tia shrugged. "If seeing animals makes Tammy happy, it is a good thing. Keeping Tammy happy is important."

"That's true," Ollie agreed. "Hey, Tessie... Are you okay?" Ollie asked. Although her sister's given name was Tessa, several people used the nickname Tessie when she seemed to need comforting.

Tessa squeaked and stared at her feet. "Hi, Ollie," she said shyly. "I'm fine." She raced upstairs to escape the conversation.

Tia shook her head. "She talks about Luke often," she said with a slight smile. "I believe she has a crush on your brother."

"I think he's crushing on her, too," Ollie admitted. "And I'm pretty sure Mani is the only girl Vinny's ever noticed."

Now, Tia _really_ smiled. "Mani adores Vinny. She is quite attached to him." She turned serious again. "Do we have a plan of action yet?"

"Not exactly," Ollie said. "I'm planning to get everyone together in a bit... We still need to tell Taylor. Any idea where he is?"

"Josh wanted to see him. I assume they are still together. Would you like me to text him?"

"No... I can kind of track the team... I found Brian easily enough out in the open... I should see if I can track Taylor, too. It might come in handy later."

"If that is what you wish."

Tammy came back inside with Imani, grinning from ear to ear. "I pet a wolf!" She said excitedly.

Ollie laughed. "Come on, Tam. Let's go find Taylor," he said, guiding her away.

Tia frowned. She silently prayed the Chosen were ready to face Zell for real. If their first attempt had merely been a preview, who knew what would happen when he wasn't holding back?

 _ **TAYLOR**_

This week was already sucking. Taylor found himself more on edge than usual. Normally, being around Josh helped, but he'd been really distracted for the last few days. Taylor was pretty patient with him. He knew Josh got tunnel vision about certain things, and he didn't mind. It was sort of cute the way Josh could obsess about things, and Taylor was happy to listen to him ramble about science or other Smart People Stuff, even if he didn't understand half of it. Watching Josh get excited about things made him happy, and if Taylor told Josh he had no idea what he was talking about, Josh usually tried to take the time to break it down for him. This time, however, Josh wasn't rambling about whatever was on his mind. In fact, he was barely talking to Taylor at all.

"Are you okay, Josh?" Taylor finally asked.

"Huh? Oh... Oh, yeah. I'm fine," Josh replied, still clearly distracted .

"Josh... _Talk_ to me. What the hell are you so focused on?"

"What? Nothing... Just... Science stuff. I don't want to bore you."

"You _never_ bore me. What's going on, Josh? You've basically been ignoring me all day. I mean, why'd you even ask me to come hang out today?" Taylor tried to keep the hurt out of his voice.

Josh sighed. "I'm sorry, Taylor. I guess I'm just distracted." He shyly kissed Taylor quickly, and all was forgiven. Taylor loved it when Josh kissed him. Even after all this time, Josh was so timid about things, especially in public. He'd decided not to hide his love for Taylor from the rest of the world anymore after Zell almost killed Taylor, but that didn't mean he was suddenly going to be huge on public displays of affection. That just wasn't who Josh was. Until he'd fallen for Taylor, Josh had pretty much identified as asexual. Now, he mostly identified as confused. That was okay, because he'd finally told Taylor he loved him. That was all Taylor needed.

"So, what's on your mind?" Taylor asked him.

"It's... Complicated. Don't worry about it."

"Josh... Come on. You _always_ talk to me."

"I found something a while back, right after we saved Tommy... It was really strange, so I asked K to help me figure it out. I didn't tell anyone because we had no proof... But..." Josh sighed.

Taylor could tell how hard this was for him. He touched Josh's arm gently, sending soothing energy into him. "It's okay, Josh. Whatever it is, it will be alright."

"No... It won't." Josh sighed again before saying, "I found my mom's medical records... From when she died."

Taylor was shocked. He hadn't expected that. "Okay... What did they say?" He asked.

"Her bloodwork was strange, Taylor. It started off somewhat normal, but over the course of the two weeks she was sick, it changed. Her cells shifted and became unrecognizable as human."

"Wait... What do you mean? Your mom _was_ human, right?"

"She was... But the illness that killed her... The one no one could identify, the one my dad swore wasn't natural... It was Eltarian."

"Eltarian?" Taylor frowned. "How would your mom catch an Eltarian disease?"

"Exactly." Josh took a deep breath. "We analyzed every single test result... K was positive that whatever this was, it couldn't have gotten into my mom naturally. My dad was so sure my mom was murdered, but no one believed him. Only Kimberly didn't think he was crazy. That's why Dad retreated and shut everyone out. He didn't really stop obsessing about it until him and Kim got together, and he finally made peace with it. I didn't want to upset him without having answers, so K and I didn't tell him... But we have some answers now, and I don't know what to do."

"What did you guys find out?"

"K talked to Lady Eleanor before she left town. As Eltar's fiercest warrior in history, K figured she might know what we were dealing with... And she did. The disease is called _Fezlexor_ and it shuts down a person's entire body, one system at a time. It's slow and painful and is the result of extreme exposure to a toxin called _Fexitez_ that is found exclusively on Eltar. There's a cure for it..." Josh took a minute to compose himself. "If it's caught early, it can be treated with an antidote that reverses most of the effects. If it's advanced, it's terminal. The normal duration of the illness is seven months. My mother lasted two weeks... She was human. Her body reacted differently to the disease and it progressed very rapidly. Since no one here knew the disease existed, they couldn't figure out what was wrong with her, or how to treat it... So my dad just had to watch as she rapidly wasted away until her whole body shut down and she was just... Gone."

"Josh... That's awful! But you didn't have to deal with this all alone. I'm here anytime you need me," Taylor said.

"I know... But this was about my _mom,_ Taylor... I'd have done it all on my own, but I needed K to help me work out the technical stuff... I'd never seen anything like that before, but K had some knowledge of Eltarian DNA because she'd worked with Zordon's."

"I know I'm dumb, but-"

"You are _not_ dumb."

"Compared to you and K, I am... But anyway, even if I can't understand complicated test results, I could have helped with moral support. .. Just... Don't shut me out again?"

"I'm sorry, Taylor. I didn't mean to hurt you... I just get tunnel vision."

"I know." Taylor squeezed his hand. "It's okay." He always forgave Josh quickly. If Josh could forgive Taylor for everything _he'd_ done, he owed him that much. _Nothing_ Josh did would ever be as bad as the things Taylor had done to try to protect his mom and his sisters from his father's wrath. His dad might be kind of awesome now, but when Taylor and his siblings were born, he'd still been extremely evil.

 _He tortured your mom. That's why she couldn't love you,_ a voice in the back of his mind taunted him.

 _Yeah, I know,_ Taylor told the evil voice that never fully went away. _Fuck off._

"Taylor?" Josh called. "Now _you're_ the distracted one."

"Sorry... I was just... Thinking," Taylor replied.

"You know, that talking thing goes both ways... I'm here for you if you need me, too."

"Tanya's planning a big Thanksgiving feast at the house."

"Are you going to help her cook? You like cooking."

"I like cooking... But I hate Thanksgiving."

"Why?" Josh paused as he suddenly put it together. "I'm sorry, Taylor. I'm an idiot."

"You're the smartest person I know. It's no big deal. I'm being dumb. I just... I don't want to be in the house right now. I don't feel safe there. I know that's stupid-"

"It is _not_ stupid," Josh said firmly. "It's PTSD... Like I have." Josh had watched his father supposedly explode in front of his eyes when he was thirteen. Josh had nearly been killed in the blast. Three years later, they'd found out Billy was alive, but that didn't take away the trauma. Then there was everything Josh had been through while in the foster care system.

"I don't have that," Taylor said. "I'm fine."

"Do you remember when you had the panic attack because of that history lesson on funeral pyres?" Josh asked gently.

"You mean when that racist teacher gave me detention for breathing? Yeah, I remember."

"That was from PTSD, Taylor. You had a flashback in class. You might not have a diagnosis, but you definitely have the symptoms... And that's only natural, after everything."

"You mean after Mom pulled a knife on me the night before Thanksgiving when I tried to help? Or after I spent the first truly _safe_ night of my life with Caius and he treated me more like a son than either of my parents ever had? Or maybe you mean after I finally went home after Thanksgiving and Mom tried to kill me... After she stabbed me so many times I still don't know how I'm alive... Did you mean after _that?_ Because I'm _fine,_ Josh. It's over. Tia killed her to save my life. It's done. It's been a year. Whatever."

Josh looked hurt and Taylor immediately regretted his outburst. "Shit, Josh, I'm sorry... In my defense, I may be sixteen, but I'm only a year and a few months old?" He flashed him sad, apologetic eyes.

"Sudden and irrational bursts of rage are common with PTSD," Josh said practically. "I have them, too. I know you aren't actually mad at me."

"You still didn't deserve that. Do you forgive me?"

"Always, Taylor." Josh kissed Taylor's cheek.

"I don't deserve you." Taylor pulled Josh closer and held him.

"Yes you do." Josh smiled at him reassuringly.

"Sweet, it worked..." A voice said. Ollie appeared in the shadow of a tree. Tammy stood by his side holding his hand. Walking the Shadow Realms was one of Ollie's powers.

"Traveling by shadow is even cooler than using portals! I feel like a ninja, sneaking up on people," Tammy said with a laugh.

"Um... Hi, guys," Taylor said, releasing Josh. "What's going on?"

"We need to talk," Ollie said.

"Is it Zell?" Taylor asked.

"Sort of. He got Kat out of the necklace. She's alive again."

Josh tensed beside him. Taylor automatically touched his arm, sending soothing energy into him. "I won't let that bitch hurt you, Josh. I swear," he said firmly. The last time Kat had made an appearance, she'd possessed Katie, tried to kill Adam and Tommy, nearly succeeded in killing Jayden, and groped Josh to make him run so she could try to escape. Josh's PTSD had kicked in and he'd shut down, locking himself in his room. After healing Jayden as much as he could, Taylor had spent hours calming Josh down. Taylor knew exactly how much Josh was afraid of facing Kat again.

"We're gonna get the Chosen together later," Ollie said. "I'll text everyone after I talk to Caius."

"Sure. I'll be there," Taylor promised. His team needed him, and this had the added bonus of keeping him out of the house for a while. They might not be living in the same house his mom had died in, but it was nearly Thanksgiving... What if something horrible happened again? Taylor shook his head, pushing the thought away. He needed to focus.

"See you in a little while, Taylor," Tammy said. She kissed his cheek, sending a burst of her light into him like she knew how much he needed to feel it. She led Ollie away.

Josh was still silent. "Josh... It's okay," Taylor said patiently. "You're with me. The bitch can't hurt you. I'll slaughter her if she tries."

"She didn't want to hurt me," Josh said. "That's why she did what she did. Kat tried to kill everyone else in the house, but she made me run. I think that was her way of sparing me."

"Why would she spare you?"

Josh shrugged. "Kat always liked me. Her and Tommy were having major issues before he kicked her out, but she put that aside to fight to get me out of the system and into their house. I know she's evil. I know she can't be saved... But I hate that this is happening again. I don't know if she'll be different now, but before... Before, she at least tried not to kill me."

Taylor didn't trust that Kat had been trying to spare Josh. It was more likely that she'd found him attractive and got a kick out of being able to scare him while she got to cop a feel. Still, he didn't want to upset Josh. "Whatever she was, I'm betting she's different now. We can't trust her," he said gently.

"I know that... I just wish things had been different..."

Taylor could feel how lost Josh felt. He kissed him deeply, knowing his energy helped him, and finally pulled away. "Better?" Taylor asked.

"A bit..." Josh admitted, staring at Taylor with dreamy eyes.

"Come on. Let me take you home before I need to meet up with everyone." Taylor led the way and hoped Josh would be alright. The next big battle seemed to be coming.

 _Protect him,_ Taylor's mind begged him. _Protect them_ all... _With everything you have._

 _ **RITA**_

She was sitting with her brother Rito and the immortal kitten Zordon had given her, Morgana, when she sensed something in the air.

"My kitty cat..." Rita whispered softly.

"Did you say something, Sis?" Rito asked.

"Oh... No, no everything's fine," Rita said quickly. She flashed him a bright smile. There was no need to panic her brother...

 _She's back... Which means_ he _is at full power,_ Rita realized. Zell was surely getting ready to attack, and even if Rita wasn't a scared little girl anymore, she still knew she couldn't take him on her own.

She kept a calm exterior for Rito, but she pulled out her cell phone and pulled up a text message with the emoticons menu she adored so much. She immediately sent Zedd a text message with a panicking cat face.

"Want pizza? I'm starving," Rito said.

"Sure, Rito... Get two pies," Rita replied.

"One for each of us?"

"Just in case we have company." She hoped Zedd would understand and come. She'd been too frightened to say anything in the text.

 _ **ZEDD**_

He was sketching when a text message came through on the cell phone. He hated the thing, but it was the quickest way for his children to get in touch with him, and Liza had insisted he needed one.

Zedd frowned as he saw what Rita had sent him. "Perhaps I should check on her..." He mumbled. Zedd knew how Rita thought. The screaming cat meant she was afraid of something. With a sigh, Zedd put away his art supplies and headed out. He arrived at Rita's place shortly after.

Rito opened the door and frowned. "You're not the pizza delivery guy," he said. Then, he shrugged. "Sis must be psychic! She said we might have company. Come on in, Zedd."

After Rita had temporarily died, her idiot little brother had stopped calling Zedd "Ed." He'd also revealed he'd known Zedd's name the entire time.

"Zedd, what a nice surprise!" Rita said. Her energy vibrated complete panic.

Zedd frowned. "Rito, would you give us a few minutes?" He asked.

"Sure, Buddy! Call me for food!" Rito said, running off to his room.

"Rita, what's wrong?" Zedd asked when they were alone.

"She's _back,_ Zeddy..." Rita said in a terrified whisper.

"Who is?"

"My kitty cat... She's come back, but she's something else now... Something far worse."

Zedd knew she didn't mean Morgana, the cat she'd named for the mother she never got to know, who'd been a dear friend of Zedd's. "Katherine?" He asked. "Liza's magic is quite strong, Rita. To release her would have taken _great_ power, and to resurrect her would have taken even more."

"I can still feel her, Zedd... She's back... Which means he's stronger than any of us realized." Rita shook her head. "Don't let him get me, Zeddy."

"Never again, Rita," Zedd promised. He held his ex-wife to comfort her. Now that neither of them was evil anymore, they'd found love with other people, and they'd actually become good friends. Zedd was with Liza, while Rita and Zordon had rekindled the love of their childhoods and begun dating. Their lives had changed so much in the last year, but Zedd was certain this was the path they'd been meant for all along.

The doorbell rang and Rito stuck his head out. "Pizza's he-" He frowned at Zedd. "Don't you and my sister get back together, Zedd. We're all much better off as friends, and I'd hate to have to start calling you Ed again," he said.

"It's just a friendly embrace," Zedd promised. Even if he didn't have Liza, Zedd would never go back to Rita. It would hurt Zordon, and he'd sworn to himself he would never hurt him again.

Rita was busy wiping away a few tears, so Zedd answered the door and paid for the pizza. "I would have paid," Rita protested as she recovered.

"I don't mind," Zedd said. He knew he should go to Zordon, but right now, Rita needed him more. Besides, Zedd knew that if Rita was right, chances were good that Caius had already seen the truth. He'd warn Zordon about what was going on. Right now, Zordon would want Zedd to stay with Rita. "Come. Let's eat."

 _ **CAIUS**_

 _One girl, pure evil despite her innocent appearance, stared at him. Her eyes turned blood red. "I am the girl you saw so long ago, Caius Grant," she said coldly. "And just as death was a temporary condition for_ you, I _have returned as well." She aged before his eyes and laughed before waving a syringe at him. "This time, I'll kill him slowly, and he_ won't _return."_

The vision shattered as a glass broke in the kitchen. Caius struggled to calm his breathing as panic seized him. He headed toward the kitchen, where he found his niece, Dora. She stared at the shattered glass as she tried to pick the pieces up with trembling hands.

"Allow me," Caius said, taking over cleaning up the mess.

"Did you see her, too?" Dora asked. "The evil blue woman?"

All four members of the Grant family were prone to visions. "I did see her, yes," Caius said softly. "Are you alright, Dora?"

"I'm fine... Just creeped out."

"Creeped out by what?" Ares asked, coming into the room. Ares was Dora's father. He was also Caius' older brother by eleven months. Until recently, the brothers could have easily passed for twins, but now Ares had a scar on his cheek. Zordon had slashed it so Zell couldn't force Ares to pretend to be his brother anymore. After dying on a battlefield, Ares had been resurrected by Zell, who turned him immortal and used lies to convince him Caius had betrayed his family. When Ares started to resist working for Dark Specter, who Zell had given him to, Zell had threatened to kill Pandora, who'd been abducted with her mother from the past. Dora's mother was struck by a car and killed when she was four, and she'd never known her family until right before the battle to save Tommy had begun. With help from Deker, she and Ares had escaped from Zell, and now, they lived with Caius and Caleb.

"You didn't have a vision?" Dora asked. "Lucky."

Caius could see how pale Ares looked. Something had terrified him, but he obviously didn't want to share it yet. "No," Ares said. "Are you okay?"

"Like I said, I'm creeped out, but I'll be alright." Dora began explaining the vision of Katherine that she'd had. Caius knew that was who this girl was... Zordon's half-sister, Tommy's wife, Katie's mother... And he knew she'd just threatened to kill his son a second time.

"Excuse me," Caius said softly. "I need to call Caleb."

The door opened and Caleb walked in with Thorn. Both of them looked shaken up. Caius let out a sigh of relief at the sight of his son. "Caleb..." He said, walking toward him.

Caleb looked at them and seemed to realize the truth. "You guys all saw it, too?" He asked.

"I saw a freaky blue psychopath coming after us all," Dora said. "Dad didn't see anything, but Caius-"

Caius looked at Caleb as he said, "Katherine is back... And she threatened you directly."

Thorn automatically pulled Caleb closer to him. "I won't let her hurt him," he said.

"I know," Caius replied. "None of us will." He put a comforting hand on Caleb's shoulder.

"Ollie's going to call you. He wants to get the team together," Caleb said, clearly pushing his emotions back.

"Of course. And I must contact Zordon... You boys should eat something. There's lasagna in the refrigerator. Excuse me." Caius headed to his study, where he had a device he could use to contact his oldest friend.

Zordon replied right away. "Caius... I sense this is not a social call," he said.

"No, my friend," Caius replied. "I am afraid it is not."

 _ **ZORDON**_

He sensed something in the air. Zordon knew his father was up to something, but that didn't fully explain the sense of trouble and loss. He was not at all surprised when Caius admitted his call was not a casual one.

"Does this have to do with my father?" Zordon asked cautiously. He braced himself for the worst. When his father had initially returned, he'd murdered Zordon, destroying most of his power. Sage and Troy had nearly killed themselves to resurrect him, but his father had knocked him back to the fifteen-year-old boy he'd been when he'd killed him so many millennia before. Through a lot of effort, Zordon had gotten his power back, but he'd still had no memories of killing his father or anything that came after except for a few small flashes. Only after a horrific attack on the Eltarian Government had Zordon remembered everything else. Physically, he was still a teenager, but on the inside, he was himself once more. Now, his twin sister Anise was the Prime Minister of Eltar, and Zordon was taking care of Mena, their cousin Rey's teenaged daughter. Rey had been the Prime Minister for a very long time before he was killed in the attack. No one on Eltar had remembered that Rey and Zordon were cousins after all this time. They'd decided it was for the best given the family history. The truth had come out that day. In spite of this, Mena was adjusting well enough, and she'd recently become part of a new team of Power Rangers.

"Zell has found a way to bring Katherine back," Caius said, causing Zordon to focus on the present.

"Katherine?" Zordon sighed. "I feared this time might come. We must be cautious, Caius. I suspect Katherine is capable of far more than we realize." He tried not to think about Katherine too often. She'd been one of his Rangers once. He'd been attached to her. Finding out she was evil was bad enough, but learning she was his younger sister had been too much to process.

"Ollie is gathering the Chosen. I will send you the details shortly. Zordon... I believe it is time."

Zordon knew he was right. "I shall bring the talismans."

"See you soon, my friend." Caius severed the connection.

Zordon sent out a quick message to Anise. _Katherine is alive. Be prepared._

Anise quickly replied with, _I always am._

Fifteen minutes later, Caius sent Zordon the details of the meeting. Zordon gathered up what he needed and headed to the location.

Everyone basically arrived at the same time. Looking at the children, Zordon was reminded of the first generation of the Chosen. Ollie stood stoically holding his family sword, the same one Dimitri Scott had once used proudly. Tammy was excitedly standing beside him, her light radiating a bit as Raven Taylor's always had. Angie looked nervous but strong, just as Morgana Fairhaven had been in the end. Tia radiated magic and power in the same way Galaxia Campbell had perfected. Brian smiled at him impishly, his grin as infectious as Quintus Kwan's had been. Caleb seemed to be trying to make himself invisible, preferring to watch the others quietly rather than demand attention, which was the epitome of Caius Grant. Finally, Taylor watched the others protectively, seemingly waiting for an unseen threat to emerge. Zedd had always been like that, too. He had been happy to just spend time with his friends, but even when in a relaxed setting, he never stopped looking out for them.

"Hi, Zordon," Brian said cheerfully, since no one else had acknowledged him. He waved at him with a huge smile on his face, making Zordon smile back.

"Hello, everyone," Zordon said.

"Zordon is here tonight because he has something each of you needs," Caius said. "As do I."

"Presents? You shouldn't have!" Brian joked.

Zordon presented the talismans. "As you all know, Maddie had to have the powers of the Chosen removed from her to save them from falling into my father's hands," he began. "Liza turned the powers into talismans to be given to each of you in your hour of need. We believe that time has come." He paused. "These powers are full duplicates of the original Chosen's. They shall boost your levels significantly. You must learn to adapt to the increase." He began passing out the talismans. The red one went to Ollie. As he put it around his neck, it began to glow brighter.

He gave the yellow one to Tia, who held it in her hand as it hung around her neck. She looked like a sense of peace had been granted to her suddenly.

The black talisman was given to Tammy. As she put it around her neck, a blinding light burst from it. She took a deep breath and pulled some of the light back so everyone could see again.

He took the green talisman and gave it to Angie. As she put it around her neck, her usual purple spirals of magic poured out of her. To everyone's surprise, green spirals appeared and danced with the purple ones. Angie gasped. Zordon smiled sadly, reminded of Morgana's magic.

Caleb's talisman was next. It was the blue one. He took it, silently nodding at Zordon before putting it around his neck.

Brian smiled at Zordon as he took the gold talisman. "Gold bling!" He said cheerfully. A flame burst out from his back for a moment as he put on the talisman. He laughed and said, "Oops! Party foul."

Finally, Zordon stood in front of Taylor. He handed him the white talisman. Taylor shrugged and put it on. It hummed with energy and Zordon was nearly overcome with emotion. Zedd had never officially made it into the Chosen, but now Taylor held the powers of his line. Taylor didn't understand this, but his existence was truly a miracle. Zordon was grateful every day that Galaxia had found a way to save Zedd's light from being fully destroyed by his father.

"The talismans will serve as training wheels, so to speak," Caius explained to the new generation. "They are a tool through which you may channel the powers until you have full control over them, or until we run out of time. When the power is fully absorbed by you, the talismans will shatter. In an effort to help some of you connect to your ancestors on a deeper level, I am here to ensure each of you has something which once belonged to them. Some of you already do... Ollie, the Scott family sword has been passed down for generations. You already have a powerful connection to it and I know it shall serve you well in battle." Ollie gripped the sword slightly tighter, nodding in the same stoic manner Dimitri would have.

"Tia, you already possess Xia's amulet," Caius explained.

Tia looked stunned. "Of _course..."_ She whispered as realization dawned on her. She pulled the amulet out from beneath her blouse. Zordon was filled with a sense of missing Galaxia as he saw her amulet. He'd seen it since she'd died, of course. Aisha had worn it for years after her grandmother gave it to her. The amulet had helped stop one of the many monsters the Rangers had faced, Hate Master. The magic in the amulet had protected Aisha from the monster's spell, and she'd ultimately saved the rest of her team. Zordon tried not to focus on what had become of Aisha. She'd been pure of heart once, but his father had corrupted her.

"Mama told me this was a powerful talisman against evil, passed down for generations," Tia explained. "She never told me it belonged to Galaxia. I assume she did not know." She clutched the talisman in her hands, looking both sad and determined.

Caius moved on. "Taylor... You already have your father's horse," he said.

"And his sarcasm, snark, personality, and hobbies," Taylor added sarcastically. "I'm about as connected to him as possible."

"Most of all, you have his light," Caius said. Taylor didn't add any sarcastic replies after that, so Caius went to the next person. "Tammy... You have one of Raven's most beloved possessions in your home... His guitar."

"I do?" Tammy asked in surprise. "The only guitar in my house is in perfect condition and can't possibly be that old. It was my..." She paused. "My dad's."

"Xia's preservation spells were quite powerful. She cast one on both the guitar and the flute, to keep part of Raven alive forever. His beloved was laid to rest with the flute, which we believed he would have wanted. He asked that it be given to her so that..." Caius closed his eyes and took a breath to compose himself. "So that her lips could touch his once more. When she passed, Xia removed the spell so it could burn with her."

Taylor stiffened at the mention of burning. Tammy automatically reached her light toward him, soothing him.

"The guitar was given to Raven's son, and passed down through the generations. It belongs to you, now, Tammy... As does _this,"_ Caius began. He pulled a stone out of his pocket.

"Caius... Where did you find that?" Zordon asked in surprise.

"In his room, about three decades after we lost him. I don't understand how. I know it was with him when he perished... But I believe he wanted me to give it to his descendant... Tammy, Raven used this stone from his village to ground himself, to pray for guidance, and to call forth protection. I believe it shall protect you as well."

Tammy took the stone. "I'll make it into a necklace," she decided aloud. "It'll look cool, and it's easier to explain wearing jewelry than carrying around a stone."

"I believe he would approve of that," Caius said with a smile. Zordon knew he was right. Raven had been all for creativity. Caius turned to Angie. "Angie... For you, I have something very special." He pulled out a wand. "This wand belonged to Morgana. I know you have a wand of your own, but this one is much smaller and can be kept on your person without needing to summon it."

Angie took the wand. It immediately began shooting off sparks, coming to life for the first time since Morgana had died. Caius and Galaxia had recovered it from her body that day. Zordon tried not to flash back on that horrible day, when Rita had accidentally killed Dimitri and Master Vile had killed Morgana to keep her from telling her daughter the truth.

"Caleb... I believe it is time to pass this along," Caius continued. He pulled out a reflective black stone that had been fashioned into a bracelet. "This is my scrying stone. When I _really_ need to summon a vision, I can use this to call one forward. It comes from the Mystics... It possesses powerful magic, but I must warn you, it will not always show you what you are trying to see. It will, however, show you what you _need_ to see, even if it does not seem that way at the time."

Caleb studied the stone before putting the bracelet on his wrist. It had a cover that could be flipped over to hide the stone so it didn't just induce spontaneous visions constantly. Caleb quickly looked at the stone before covering it. "Thanks, Caius... I'll take good care of it," Caleb promised.

Caius nodded. "I know you will." He turned to Brian. "Brian-"

"My turn? Goody!" Brian said eagerly.

Caius smiled at him sadly before pulling out a leather bracelet etched with flames. "Quintus found this at the marketplace and fell in love with it. He wore it _everywhere._ " He handed Brian the bracelet.

"I can see why... It's cool!" Brian declared. "I feel like a badass."

"Brian, there is one other thing... I asked Alpha to teleport it here for you from your house. Your mother had no idea what she possessed, but..." Caius revealed a sword Zordon knew all too well. The sight of it caused Zordon's skin to pale.

"This was Quin's sword. In the right hands, it can actually burst into flames in battle. When he died, I passed it on to Quang Bu, his son. It was passed down just like the Scott sword... This sword is _very_ important, Brian... Because after Quin died, this was the sword that Zordon used to kill his father."

Brian stared at the sword. "This thing killed _Zell?"_ He asked.

"Yes," Zordon said, trying to recover. "And it may be the strongest weapon we have against him. Guard that sword with everything you have, Brian."

Brian turned serious, an extremely rare state for him. "I promise," he said.

"Now that you have all connected to these powers and items... I believe it is a good time for some training," Caius said.

As the new Chosen began training, Zordon looked at Caius. "They have come a long way," he said.

"They still have far to go," Caius replied. "I believe in them... I only wish I could make the journey easier for them."

"As do I," Zordon agreed. He knew he couldn't be the one to destroy his father this time, or the cycle would simply begin again, but if it came down to it, could he really sit back and watch the new Chosen meet the same fate the original team had?

 _It won't come to that,_ Zordon told himself. _This time, they will not fail._

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _I hope you liked the first chapter! There's plenty more to come! Reviews are always appreciated. Expect to see all of the surviving characters you've seen in the previous fics return to play their parts in this fight! (Except for Cassie and Lucas, who are currently still stuck in the past fighting the last bit of Divatox.) The Legacy team and their parents will be featured more in the coming chapters, but this chapter was meant to set up this fic, re-introduce the Chosen team, and recap the other fics a bit. Stay tuned for more!_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

 _ **JUSTIN**_

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. It was highly possible that Justin was having another "episode." He suffered from extreme PTSD, agoraphobia, anxiety, and paranoia. Until Tommy had gotten kidnapped, Justin had refused to leave his house unless absolutely required. He usually only did that when his son, Jared, needed to go to the doctor. Justin still didn't know where Jared had come from. Although he couldn't recall engaging in any act that could have produced a child, he tested Jared's DNA and the results had proven he was his kid. That had been twelve years ago. Now, Jared was the one part of Justin's life that didn't suck.

"Something's wrong..." Justin said aloud. He began thinking of a thousand worst case scenarios. _Stop. Breathe,_ he told himself. He took a deep breath. A little voice in the back of his head was screaming at him, _Check on your team!_

That wasn't easy. Justin had once been part of the Turbo team. Carlos had died the year before. Around the same time, Ashley had suffered a major head trauma. She had amnesia and couldn't remember anything about her time as a Power Ranger, or anything else really. She remembered her daughter, by some miracle, but that was pretty much it. Cassie had gone back in time with Lucas from the Time Force team to stop the last of Divatox, who'd sent a small part of herself into the 1980s right before Tanya killed the rest of her. Justin missed Cassie fiercely, but he knew her mission was important.

Then, there was TJ. Justin tried not to think about him. TJ had given his life in battle so that Cassie, Justin, and Doctor K could stop Venjix and save Tommy. He'd been brutally ripped apart in front of them. Justin had somehow kept fighting after Cassie told him to do it for TJ, but every day was a struggle now. He had worse nightmares than ever and had needed to increase his anxiety medication.

"Everyone's accounted for," Justin told himself. Carlos and TJ were dead, Cassie was in the past, and Ashley... "Ash is isolated..." Justin mumbled. She didn't interact with anyone anymore. What if...?

"Alpha, stay with Jared," Justin said. He was talking to Alpha Prime, who he'd helped rebuild. The original Alpha lived with him and Jared now.

"Is everything well, Justin?" Alpha Prime asked.

"That's what I need to find out. Please teleport me to Ashley's."

"Alone?"

"I'm being paranoid, but I want to check on her. I don't want to bring a crowd and freak her out. Ash is fragile since the amnesia."

"Very well. See you soon, Justin." Alpha sent him on his way.

Justin arrived at the big suburban house. The lawn was perfect and had a pretty garden inside of a white picket fence. Ashley's place seemed to come right out of a 1950's sitcom. Justin approached it cautiously. He tried to knock on the door, but it swung open. Justin tensed, knowing something was very wrong. He almost ran away.

 _TJ would check on her,_ he told himself. _You have to do this._ He cautiously stepped inside of the house. There were signs of a struggle. A table had been knocked over, scattering mail everywhere.

"Ash?" Justin called. "Ashley!" He walked through the house, searching for any signs of life. When he reached the kitchen, however, he found something else.

"Ash..." Justin whispered in horror. Her body lay motionless on the floor. There was blood on her face and neck, but the wound wasn't actively bleeding. Her cold, dead eyes stared at Justin vacantly.

Justin sank to the floor, his back against the cabinets. Ashley was dead. He knew that, but he couldn't make sense of it. He whimpered slightly as he pressed the panic button on his communicator. This would alert Alpha Prime, Alpha Six, and Sage that he needed immediate help.

The Green Mighty Morphin Legacy Ranger arrived almost immediately, teleporting to Justin's side. Sage was the daughter of the second Green Ranger on the original team, Casey, and the second Black Ranger, Adam. Her parents had remained Rangers until the Turbo team had changed to newer, younger Rangers so the original ones could retire and live their lives. Only Justin had stayed behind, still fairly new as a Ranger and very young. That was how he'd met TJ, Cassie, Carlos, and Ashley.

"Justin, what's going o-?" Sage began. Then, she seemed to sense something. She turned around and stared at Ashley's corpse. "Oh Gods..." Sage knelt beside Ashley, gently closing her eyes. Then, she touched Ashley's arm and seemed to focus. "The Bitch Witch..." Sage mumbled.

Sage walked toward Justin. "Justin... I'm sorry. I know she was your friend," she said gently. "Come with me."

"No... No, I... I can't leave her..." Justin mumbled.

"Justin, there's nothing you can do for her now. She's gone."

"No... I have to... To stay. I have to protect her... I'm the only one left with Cassie in the past... She needs me..."

Sage sighed. She put a gentle hand on Justin's back, kneeling beside him. "I promise I'll take care of her, Justin. No one else will hurt her now."

Justin nodded slowly. Then, realization dawned on him. "Her daughter, Sage! Where's Jodi?"

Sage looked at him sadly. "Felina was here. Do you remember who she is? She's the Eltarian Rebel from Stone Hollow, the sorceress who sided with Zell against the Stone Warriors. Felina killed Ashley, Justin... And she took Jodi to Zell."

"Why would she take Jodi?" Justin asked in horror. "She's just a little girl!" He knew entirely too well what monsters did to kids her age.

"I need you to try to stay with me, Justin... This isn't going to be easy to hear."

Justin forced himself to take a deep breath. "Okay," he said.

"I saw the truth when I touched Ashley... Zell used Jodi for a ritual. She's gone, Justin. Zell killed her."

Justin couldn't breathe. He curled up in a fetal position, shaking his head in denial. "Why?" He whispered. He knew there was more.

"Zell resurrected Katherine, Justin. My aunt is back."

The panic attack was too strong now. Katherine, the girl who'd taken advantage of him as a scared, lonely little boy and done things with him no kid should be doing was back. Kat was probably the main reason Justin couldn't function like other people now. She was his biggest fear, the monster who hid behind an angelic face and accent.

"Breathe, Justin," Sage said patiently. She was trying to soothe him, and her voice guided him out of his thoughts. "You're safe. We're going to protect you." Sage was one of the few people who knew the truth about what Kat had done to him.

Justin nodded numbly. "Where is Jodi's...?" He couldn't say "body."

"The Alchemist has her. I'll do what I can to get her back," Sage promised.

Justin nodded again. "She should be with her mom..." Tears began to slide down his cheeks.

Sage pulled him into a tight hug. "We'll make them pay for this," she vowed. Justin allowed himself to cry until his body began to calm down. Only then did Sage manage to coax him to go with her and leave the house and the horror hidden inside behind.

 _ **MICKY**_

He had slept on the beach, which he found a lot more peaceful than sleeping in alleys. Micky Delaney figured life on the street was better than having to face foster care or possibly jail. After all, he had technically killed his parents.

 _It was an accident,_ Micky reminded himself. His mother and step-father had been trying to sacrifice his neighbor, a ten-year-old girl, to earn favor in their business endeavors. Micky had decided he couldn't let them hurt her. He'd given in to his rage and, as he liked to put it, _Hulked Out._ Micky's super strength was his most dominant super power, but he disliked using it. He worked very hard to keep his temper in check. That day, three months ago, he'd killed his step-father with one hard hit to the chest. His mother had tried to attack him, and Micky refused to hit her. He'd been horrified by the first death and didn't want another on his hands. The demon his parents had tried and now failed to appease demanded her life as payment and killed her himself. Micky had patched up his neighbor's injuries, taken her home, and then run. He had nothing but the clothes on his back and some serious survival skills.

He spotted something in the sand nearby. Curious, he investigated. "What the hell?" Micky asked aloud. "This thing again? How does it keep popping up on me?"

Micky liked the white saber. It had a head like a tiger, and he was unusually drawn to it, but it was probably valuable, so he'd left it where he'd found it the first time. Now, here it was again. He shrugged and picked it up.

"Hello, Micky," the saber said.

Micky let out an undignified cry of shock and dropped the saber. It let out a sound of protest. "Is _that_ how you greet a new friend?" It demanded indignantly.

 _Can a saber_ be _indignant?_ Micky wondered. "How are you talking ? Oh, man, I've officially lost it... " He mumbled.

"No, you haven't," the saber said. "My name is Saba, Micky... And I have been searching for you."

"No offense, but how does a saber search for someone?" Micky asked skeptically. "And why?"

"I am a sentient being, Micky. The one I belonged to before turned against all that I stand for, and I had to leave her..." Saba sounded sad. Micky felt bad for him, but shook his head. Sabers didn't have emotions... Did they?

"So you searched for a new owner. Okay, I'll bite. Why me?"

"Your heart is pure. You cannot be tainted... Just like your father."

"My father's evil... And dead."

"Your _biological_ father, Micky... I am certain you belong to a very dear friend of mine. He does not know this yet, but you look so much like him... Either you belong to him or to his brother, but I sense the blood of a Power Ranger inside of you."

"A Power Ranger? Are you serious?"

"Yes... Please allow me to guide you to your family, Micky. Your destiny lies in Angel Grove."

Micky looked at his surroundings. He loved the beach, but maybe going somewhere and starting over wouldn't be such a bad idea. It might be nice not to have to look over his shoulder constantly. Angel Grove was only a couple of hours away by car, although walking would certainly take longer. As an athlete, Micky was in incredible shape physically. He could handle the journey, and it wasn't like he had anything better to do anyway. "Okay," he said with a shrug. "Why not?"

 _ **BILLY**_

It was certainly troubling and problematic that Katherine was back from the dead, but he was trying not to focus on that. Instead, Billy watched as Kimberly stood in the kitchen cooking. He had tried telling her to let him handle things like that while she carried their baby, but Kimberly insisted cooking made her happy. Billy knew that was true, so he'd eventually stopped protesting. He walked toward her now and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

Kimberly sighed peacefully as she shifted her neck so Billy could rest his head on her shoulders while he held her as she continued cooking.

"You two are the absolute _cutest_ thing!" Ziggy proclaimed from the door that led to the kitchen. "K, will you hold _me_ like that the next time I cook?"

Doctor K, also known as Kristina, shook her head. " _That_ is _highly_ unlikely," she replied. Ziggy and K were dating , although K usually refused to call it that. During the training leading up to the battle to save Tommy, Billy had realized that K was his daughter. She'd been conceived while Billy was being held hostage by her mother, the evil demigoddess Merkhet. Although Merkhet had told Billy she murdered their daughter, K had actually been sent to an alternative realm and ended up in a government think tank. Ultimately, K had grown up to mentor the RPM Rangers, all of whom were older than her. When Venjix had been brought into the realm Billy existed in, K and her Rangers had come to help. After it was revealed that Billy was K's father, she'd chosen to stay so they could get to know each other. That meant Ziggy had come along as part of the deal. So had everyone from the team who'd survived the battle except for Scott, who'd had to go back to Corinth.

Ziggy didn't let K's response dim his cheerful attitude. "I can make dinner tonight if you want, Kim," he offered. "I'm thinking we could all use a nice four-course meal."

"Are you _trying_ to make me gain weight?" Kenny joked as he joined them. Kenny was an accomplished gymnast just like his mother had been. Although his creep of a father, Mark, and his former coach had often forced him to train around the clock, refusing to even let him eat half the time, Kenny had a decent appetite these days and did his best to remember to eat regularly. Kimberly had finally left Mark after finding out that, in addition to hitting _her,_ he'd put his hands on Kenny. Merkhet had turned Mark into the minotaur monster Achilles. He'd nearly killed Kenny and Kimberly, but Billy had cut off his head. Not only had that solved the problem, but in finally being able to save Kimberly from Mark, Billy had somehow saved himself. That was when he'd finally begun to heal from everything Merkhet had done to him in the three years she'd had him. With one swift swing of a sword, Billy had broken the last of her mind control and programming.

"Hey, sweetheart!" Kimberly cheerfully greeted her son. She pulled him into a hug.

"Where's Josh today?" Billy asked, realizing his son was the only person missing.

"Tunnel visioning over some kind of science," Kenny said with a laugh. "I know better than to ask for details when he starts speaking Genius."

"Same here!" Ziggy said with a laugh of his own as he looked at K.

"I'll go check on him," Billy decided aloud. He gave Kimberly a quick kiss and headed upstairs. He knocked on Josh's door lightly.

"Come in," Josh called.

Billy walked into his son's room. Josh quickly shoved whatever he was looking at into his desk. "Hey, Dad," he said awkwardly.

"Josh... What's going on?" Billy asked.

"Nothing... Just research."

"Remember when we agreed to be completely open with each other? Try again, Josh. I know something's bothering you."

Josh sighed. "Dad... I can't this time."

Billy frowned. "Whatever's going on, it's obvious you need someone to talk to."

"I've been talking to K."

Billy was surprised by this. Sure, he'd been thrilled to see that Josh and K were getting along, but Josh treated her more like a fellow intellectual than a sister. At best, they were friends, and that was enough. Josh didn't handle change well, and considering how K had been conceived, Billy had been concerned his son would never let her in at all. "So, it's really a scientific issue then?" Billy asked.

"Technically."

"Okay. I just don't understand why you feel like you have to hide that from me."

Josh sighed. "It's complicated, Dad." His eyes shot to his bed and Billy followed them. That was when he saw something he recognized.

"Josh... Is that one of your mother's journals?" Billy asked in shock.

Josh nodded. "I found it in one of the boxes from when we moved out of Tommy's house."

"That's not possible... We lost all of her belongings when the house was destroyed."

"I know... But it's her handwriting, Dad." Josh showed him the book.

Billy examined it with slightly trembling hands. The handwriting did indeed belong to his deceased first wife, Marilyn. The journal matched the kind she loved to use. The words, however, were unfamiliar. "I've never seen this journal before, Josh... Which means it wasn't in my possession after we lost her."

"So how did it find its way into this house? I accidentally came across it last night."

"That is quite an appropriate question..." Billy frowned, flipping through the pages carefully, desperate to preserve this single relic of the wife he'd lost entirely too soon. He loved Kimberly with all of his heart, but Marilyn held a special piece of him no one else would ever touch. He still missed her terribly.

He came across a section of the notebook that was clearly written in code. Billy stared at the pages, wondering why she had felt the need to encode part of her journal. "I couldn't crack it," Josh said with a frown. "I tried, but it's not any code I know. I spent most of the night working on it."

"Your mother created codes as part of her job," Billy said. "I don't know this one, but if we take some time, I'm certain we can crack it and figure out what she wrote." He paused. "Wait... This part... I don't understand it, but I recognize that it's Eltarian."

Josh tensed. "Dad... I have to tell you something," he said softly. "And it's going to upset you." Josh stared at the floor looking guilty.

Billy braced himself. "You can tell me anything, Josh. What is it?"

"You weren't crazy, Dad... You were _right._ Someone murdered Mom."

Billy stared at his son in shock. "Josh..." He sighed. He'd become obsessed with solving the mystery of Marilyn's death after she was gone. Most of his friends had tried to steer him away from the subject, convinced he was simply going insane from his grief. Only Kimberly had listened to him ramble for years after the fact, staying by his side and helping him with Josh. It had taken a very long time for Billy to accept that they might be right. Sometimes, people simply died.

"I have _proof,_ Dad... I found Mom's medical records in your safe, and I had K help me analyze them. The illness that killed Mom was Eltarian in origin. K even had Lady Eleanor verify it."

Billy took a deep breath. "Josh, your mother's records weren't in the safe. They were destroyed with the rest of the house."

"Like that journal was destroyed? Dad, something is _obviously_ going on. Someone must have hidden this stuff."

"Then why give it back now?"

"I have no idea... But it's here. Look at the records, Dad." He pulled them out of the drawer he'd shoved closed earlier.

Billy looked at the records. He felt his grief all over again as he recognized the very papers he had obsessively gone over time and time again after Marilyn died. "This is the record," he confirmed. He shook off the grief the best he could and looked at Josh. "I agree that something strange is going on. I'll help you look into it. We need to be careful. Whoever is sending you these things may have ulterior motives."

Josh nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Dad. K and I agreed it was best not to upset you until we knew for sure that something sinister was going on."

"I understand... Just don't keep me in the dark any longer. I can help you with this."

"Do you think Kimberly will be upset by this?"

"No. Kim always believed me, Josh. She'll want us to figure this out." Billy sighed. "Come downstairs. Kimberly made lunch."

Nothing else was said as Billy struggled with a thousand different thoughts racing through his head.

 _ **MORA**_

She had been drawing up a storm in preparation for war. Mora liked to draw monsters, and her powers brought them to life, but Zell could be a little demanding when it came to how many she was supposed to create at once. She'd told her last boss that art couldn't be rushed, but she was afraid to say that to Zell. He was more terrifying and a billion times more powerful than Emperor Gruumm had been. Mora preferred to stay on his good side.

"Shall we try a test run, Great Zell?" Mora asked nervously.

"If this first batch is ready, certainly," Zell replied. He looked at the army she'd assembled. "They are quite lovely, my dear! Shall we proceed?"

"Of course. You just want them to put the Rangers on edge, right?"

"Correct."

She nodded. "Take them away! Oh, this shall be _great_ fun!" She clapped her hands in excitement.

Zell sent the monsters into Angel Grove and Mora watched the fight in the water of the Alchemist's solid gold divination bowl in excitement.

 _ **KENNY**_

The sound of his communicator going off surprised him. It hadn't happened much since they'd saved Tommy, seeing as how all of the monsters were gone. "Alpha, I read you," Kenny said.

" _Ay-yi-yi,_ Kenny! Monsters are attacking in the park! The people are panicking, _ay-yi-yi!_ There are so many monsters!" Alpha Twenty-Six, his team's official Alpha, told him in a panic.

"I'm on it," Kenny said. He ducked his head into Josh's rooms. "There's a monster attack in the park!"

"Monsters? Are we sure they're back?" Josh asked.

"Alpha seemed pretty panicked, but that's not exactly unusual." Kenny shrugged. "We'd better check it out."

Josh nodded. He grabbed his morpher and followed Kenny as they teleported to the park. They were the first to arrive.

A giant monster that looked like an oversized fish with huge fangs rushed toward them. Several other odd monsters were running around terrorizing random people in the park. "Yep, those are monsters alright," Kenny said. "Morphin time?"

"Why'd it have to be a fish? I _hate_ fish," Josh mumbled. He shared that phobia in common with Billy.

The others arrived. Now, Kenny looked at his co-leader, Sage, and said, "It's Morphin' Time!"

"Dragonzord!" Sage cried out, morphing into the Green Ranger.

"Allosaurus!" Tommy shouted, morphing into the Gold Ranger, the team's newest addition.

"Mastodon!" Thorn cried. His black uniform came next.

"Pterodactyl!" Kenny joined in, turning pink.

"Triceratops!" Josh added, turning blue.

"Saber-toothed Tiger!" Liza shouted, making her yellow uniform appear.

"Tyrannosaurus!" Zeke added, completing the morphing sequence as he transformed into the Red Ranger.

It became obvious fairly early that they were in trouble. More monsters kept coming, and they were growing to impossible heights rapidly. "We need Dinozord power! Now!" Sage shouted. The team called in their Zords. Quickly, they assembled the Megazord, leaving the Dragonzord on its own. The Allosaurus had a feature that connected it to the original Megazord, attaching to the back of the Tyrannosaurus, which formed the torso, and functioning as a tail that whipped around at enemies. It had taken the team a lot of practice to figure out how to make that transition smoothly. Luckily, Sage and Josh were brilliant with working with the Zords and had worked out the technical details until it all came together.

Everything was going well until another monster showed up. This one was by far the largest, and it had a brute strength unlike any they'd seen before. The Zords broke apart into their individual forms again, and Kenny was just grateful they hadn't lost them entirely. Then, the monsters ganged up on them, attacking each Zord one at a time.

Tommy lost the Allosaurus first. He fell to the ground entirely too hard and his morph dropped. "Tommy!" Kenny shouted. He flew the Pterodactyl closer to Tommy to try to cover him, but he took a hit and got knocked out of his Zord, too. Kenny's reflexes kicked in and he landed safely in a tree, still morphed.

"You good, Kenny?" Sage called.

"I'm fine. Cover Tommy," Kenny replied.

"I'm okay," Tommy tried to argue.

"You're hurt," Kenny said firmly. "Stop being so stubborn. Someone cover him."

"On it!" Zeke said, bringing the T-Rex closer.

"Shit!" Liza cried out. Kenny saw the Saber-toothed Tiger take a serious hit. It flew through the air, knocked back with too much force, and Liza was ejected.

"Liza!" Kenny shouted.

That was when something unexpected happened. Something jumped through the air, catching Liza before she could hit the ground. As it landed on the ground, Kenny stared at it in shock and confusion. The White Tigerzord... _Katie's_ Zord... Had come to the rescue.

 _ **SAGE**_

She was just as confused as everyone else. "Uncle Tommy? Did you...?" She asked.

"No..." Tommy said very softly. "No, I didn't... Saba took off on me a couple of days ago saying there was something he needed to do... I _couldn't_ call the White Tigerzord right now, even if I wanted to."

"What the hell is going on?" Sage wondered aloud. Katie was dead and she couldn't come back. Sage knew that for certain. The ritual on the Reservation to trap her spirit so she could never harm anyone again had gone perfectly. Her cousin was never coming back... So who the hell was piloting the Zord?

The Zord set Liza down gently, another indication that Katie wasn't back considering Katie had tried to murder Liza. "You okay, Liza?" Sage called, forcing herself to focus. Liza's morph had failed as she went flying.

"Yeah, I think so," Liza said.

"Thorn, look out!" Josh cried out.

Sage turned her attention to the Mastodon. It stood unmoving and staring at the White Tigerzord. Sage understood immediately what had happened... Thorn had gone into shock at the sight of the Zord. They hadn't used it even in their training sessions since Thorn had to kill Katie.

Josh put the Triceratops between the Mastodon and the especially brutal monster, bravely willing to sacrifice his own safety to protect Thorn. Considering they'd all had to do the same for Josh when he flew into PTSD episodes in battle over the years, Sage understood why he did it. That didn't mean she could allow it to happen. She took the Dragonzord to them, protecting them both. To her surprise, the White Tigerzord came at the monster from behind while Sage had it distracted and knocked it down. Together, Sage and the mystery pilot defeated the monster. The other monsters who had survived panicked and fled.

Sage got out of her Zord and immediately got into the Mastodon. Thorn was trembling violently and staring at the White Tigerzord. Sage wrapped her arms around her twin.

"It's okay, Thorn," she said soothingly. "I promise, it's not Katie. I'd know if it was."

Thorn shook his head. "I... I'm sorry," he said. She knew what he was apologizing for.

Sage held him closer. "It wasn't your fault, Thorn. You did what you had to do. I am _so_ sorry... It should have been _me._ You're too gentle..." Thorn had only had to kill Katie because Sage was unconscious at the time after resurrecting Zordon with Troy. She knew she'd have handled the burden of killing their cousin a lot better than Thorn could because she'd already accepted by then that something might have to be done to stop her if she followed in her mother's footsteps instead of Tommy's.

"I didn't mean to freeze..." Thorn whispered.

"Most people in your situation would have," Sage replied, relieved that he seemed to be snapping out of the shock.

"You wouldn't have."

"Because I'm more screwed up in the head than you are," Sage said with a slight laugh. "It's okay, Thorn. Everyone's fine."

Thorn nodded and followed Sage out of the Zord. Everyone else had gathered in front of the White Tigerzord. Tommy and Liza were the only ones who weren't morphed. They watched as the White Tigerzord opened up to release its pilot.

Sage stared at the mysterious boy in confusion. He was definitely a teenager, but she had no idea who he was. She exchanged a glance with Thorn.

"Wait... _Micky?"_ Liza asked.

"Yeah, it's me, Liza... And it's damn good to see you," Micky said.

Liza flung her arms around him and refused to let him go. "Nice catch," she said. "Thanks for that."

Micky shrugged. "It's been a while since I got to save your ass," he said casually.

"Okay, Liza, you clearly know this kid," Kenny said. "Do you want to fill us in on who he is?"

"Guys, this is Micky Delaney. He's a friend from back home... His parents were basically besties with mine," Liza explained. "They were equally psychotic and evil. Micky's a great guy, though. You can trust him."

Sage frowned. "That doesn't explain why he's here, or how he piloted that Zord," she said.

Saba appeared in Micky's hand. "He's here because _I_ brought him home," Saba said. "Tommy... Meet your son."

Tommy stared at Saba and Micky in disbelief as everyone else stared at Tommy. "I don't _have_ a son, Saba..." He said.

"Correction. You did not _know_ you had a son."

"I've only ever been with one woman, and we didn't have a son," Tommy said stubbornly.

"Katherine is not the boy's mother, Tommy. His mother was a woman named Karla Delaney. She and her husband Burt raised the boy in this time, but just as with Aisha when she conceived Liza, time travel was used to target you before you ever met the Power Rangers. Your memories were taken so you would never find out about the boy."

"That's not possible, okay?" Tommy shook his head. "This is some sort of trick... Zell's playing mind games."

"I get it if you don't want me around," Micky said with a shrug. "It was good to see you, Liza. Take care of yourself." He started to try to walk away.

"Stop," Sage said firmly. "Whatever this is, we need to get to the bottom of it. If Saba trusts Micky, there's a reason."

"Sage... Saba's been fooled before," Josh said softly.

"Saba wasn't fooled. He stayed with Katie until she could no longer be saved. When it counted, he left her so she couldn't use him for evil. Saba and the White Power Coin can't be corrupted. If he says Micky is Uncle Tommy's, we should at least look into it. I'll have Alpha run a full DNA test," Sage said practically. In her heart, she knew it wasn't necessary. Micky's energy was nearly identical to Tommy's. There was no denying who his father was. He also didn't radiate any hint of evil, although Katie hadn't either. If Micky really _was_ her cousin, would history repeat itself? Could he be trusted?

"Sage is right," Tommy said with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Micky... I was just sort of in shock. We need to get to the bottom of this. Come with us."

"Where?" Micky asked cautiously.

"To the Command Center," Sage said. She took a deep breath and touched his hand. To her shock, it felt warm and powerful. The energy was oddly soothing, like something that had been missing had been restored.

Micky seemed surprised by the connection, too. He looked at her. "Did you feel that?" He asked.

Sage nodded. Somehow, she knew she could trust him. She held his hand a little tighter and teleported to the Command Center.

Micky looked around in shock as the others arrived behind them. "That... Was incredible!" He declared with a grin. "Can we do it again?"

"Later," Sage said. She looked at Alpha and Zordon. "This is Micky. He came to us in the White Tigerzord... We need you to run a DNA test, Alpha."

Alpha Twenty-Six immediately began running a thorough exam. Micky looked uncomfortable as Alpha scanned him. "I feel vaguely violated..." He mumbled.

"It's okay, Micky," Liza said sweetly, in the same tone she used when Imani or Tessa got scared. "You're safe here. I promise."

Sage knew then that this boy had been through a special brand of Hell, just like Liza. "I'm okay," Micky tried to reassure Liza, but it was obvious how nervous he actually was.

"Rangers, I have the test results," Alpha said.

"And...?" Sage asked.

"Micky is Tommy's son. There is no doubt."

Sage saw the way Thorn tensed. She knew her brother was afraid to get attached to this new cousin when things had gone so poorly with Katie. Sage knew she needed to be a proper leader, so she walked over to Micky. "Then welcome to the family, Micky. I'm Sage. I'm your cousin," she said. She finally demorphed, so the rest of the team did, too. "This is Thorn, my twin brother. And that's Kenny, Josh, and Zeke. You already know Liza."

"I guess it's nice to meet you guys..." Micky said awkwardly.

Saba cleared his throat. "Tommy... It is time," he said.

"Time for _what?"_ Micky asked.

Tommy sighed. The grief he always tried to hide showed itself now as he reached into his pocket. "Time for _this,"_ he said. He pulled out the White Power Coin... The coin that had been Katie's. Right before Katie killed Mike, he'd stolen her Power Coin to protect it. Apparently, seeing Saba leave Katie in battle had told Mike there was no saving her, so he'd saved the power from remaining in her hands. That decision had cost him his life and proved that goofy, sweet Mike was actually one of the bravest Power Rangers Sage had ever met. Liza and Zedd had gotten the Power Coin to Zordon, and Liza had ultimately had him give it back to Tommy in an effort to comfort him. Tommy had carried it with him everywhere ever since.

"What's that?" Micky asked.

"Your legacy," Sage said after taking a deep breath. "This is the White Power Coin. We've been down a Power Ranger since Katie had to be killed."

"Wait, what? That's insane! I'm _not_ a Power Ranger," Micky protested.

"Our team is made up entirely of Legacies, Micky, with one exception. We are the children of the first Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Your father, Tommy Oliver, has been on more teams of Rangers than anyone else. He was the first Green Ranger on the Mighty Morphin team. When he lost those powers, my mother saved them by taking them into herself. Uncle Tommy became the White Ranger next. When the team became the Zeo Rangers, he became the Red Ranger, and he kept that color when they moved from Zeo to Turbo. After a while, he ended up as the Black Dino Thunder Ranger. He was that team's mentor first. And finally, he became our mentor... But after he was kidnapped by nearly every bad guy ever, he found a Power Coin we hadn't known existed in this realm... The Gold Mighty Morphin Power Coin. So now, Tommy's on our team, even though he's not technically a legacy."

Micky stared at Tommy. "Dude... Have you ever considered finding a hobby?"

Sage started laughing. So did Kenny, and soon everyone else, including Thorn, joined in. The tension that had been hanging in the air finally broke.

Tommy shook his head. "I just can't seem to walk away," he said with a smile. It very nearly touched his eyes, but it didn't chase away the sorrow that was always there now.

"Are you sure you guys want me here? Saba told me what happened with the last White Ranger," Micky said cautiously.

"Katie turned evil, " Sage confirmed. "But I don't believe that _you_ will."

"You don 't know me. How can you tell?"

"I'm a Shaman. I'm very good at reading people."

Micky's eyes lit up. "You have magic? Me, too!"

Tommy looked like he might have heart failure. Liza laughed at that. "Micky's parents raised him doing evil rituals, like mine raised me... But both of us rebelled and learned to use our powers for other things, too."

"My mom always told me the blood of the Shamans ran through my veins, but she wouldn't let me learn to use most of the powers. I trained myself the best I could," Micky said.

"Another Shaman on the team? Awesome," Zeke said. "Now Sage doesn't have to be the only one healing our asses."

"I can't heal people... Yet. But I could probably learn." The others began talking to Micky, slowly trying to let him in. Sage knew how hard this must be for everyone, but there was something else she needed to worry about currently.

Sage looked at Zordon. "I need to talk to you," she said.

"Of course," Zordon said. He led her to a quieter area, where no one could hear them.

"Zordon... I know how your father brought my aunt back," Sage said.

Zordon took a deep breath, clearly bracing himself for the worst. "Go on," he said.

"He sacrificed a twelve-year-old girl... But thanks to that bitch Felina being the one to find the sacrifice... It wasn't a random person, Zordon."

He looked appropriately horrified. "A child... Of course he did..." Zordon shook his head. "Who was she, Sage?"

"Ashley's daughter, Jodi... And there's more."

Zordon looked crushed as he asked, "Ashley?"

"Felina killed her before she took her daughter. Unfortunately, Justin is the one who found her."

"Oh no... How is he?"

"He went into shock, but I got him back to Alpha Prime. He's safe for now, and hopefully he'll find a way to cope with this... Justin's made so much progress. I'd hate to see him slip away and shut down again."

"Thank you for telling me, Sage... This explains the sense of loss I felt when Katherine was resurrected. I must inform Andros."

"I'll have Kira do it. I'd have asked Uncle Tommy, but he's too freaked out right now. I mean, first Aunt Kat comes back, now he finds out he has a son. I can't put this on him, too. I'll tell my team, and the original generation... Tanya and Dad will probably take it the hardest, since Tanya chose her to replace her, and Dad just takes every loss personally."

"If you need help, please tell me," Zordon said.

"I'm good. Delivering bad news is something I'm unfortunately getting used to... But I _am_ worried about telling the Samurai team about Micky... Jayden especially. After everything Katie put him through, to have someone pick up her legacy might be hard on him."

"Jayden is wise beyond his years. He will find a way to cope with this."

"I know how strong Jayden is, but everyone has a breaking point." Sage sighed. "I guess we're about to find out."

They walked back to the others. "Okay, let's see what you've got, Micky," Sage said. "This is a major moment. Let's do this. Follow my lead, Micky... It's Morphin' Time! Dragonzord!" She morphed and looked to Micky.

Micky looked a bit shocked, but he held his morpher in the right position and cried out, "White Tigerzord!" He morphed as everyone watched him.

"As a team," Sage said to Tommy. "We need to make this official."

Tommy understood. "Allosaurus," he said, morphing. Everyone else followed suit, until Zeke finished it up.

The team stood together, all of the colors united for the very first time. The sense of being fractured was no longer there. Having the White Ranger back on the team felt right, and Micky fit in better than Katie had in the end. His energy was exactly what it should be. This was the right path.

"Welcome to the Power Rangers, Micky," Kenny said, showing why he was Sage's co-leader. She knew how hard it was for everyone to see that Ranger Suit actively being used again, but it was especially hard for Kenny. The fact that he could put that aside said a lot about him.

"You belong here, Micky," Zordon said. "Simply follow these three rules... Never escalate a fight unless you are forced to. Never use your powers for personal gain. Most of all, never reveal your identity to the outside world. The secret of the Power Rangers must be protected. Do you accept this new destiny?"

Micky nodded. "I do," he said.

"Then we are happy to have you. May the Power protect you!"

"Come on, Guys... It's time for training," Kenny said.

"I'll meet you all there. I have to talk to a few people first," Sage said. She decided to wait to talk to Tommy. He needed time to process having a kid again before she threw Ashley's death at him. Sage headed home, hoping this wouldn't be too much for the people who'd once viewed Ashley as a friend.

 _ **JAYDEN**_

He was standing in the training center with Dustin and Kira. Dustin had already set up everyone's favorite training station, the Food Station. Kira was nibbling on some french fries as they waited for the Rangers and the Chosen to show up. Training sessions could consist of a lot of different people, but the Legacy team and the Chosen were always there. So were Jayden's Samurai team and the Megaforce team. The RPM team showed up most of the time, as did Koda, Chase, and the newest Dino Charge Ranger, AJ, although those three were skipping training today to have a meeting with their team back in Amber Beach. Other Rangers showed up at random.

Troy walked in first. "The Mimic Force is here!" Kira said cheerfully. She never missed an opportunity to call them that, although Kira had actually come to respect what Troy's team could do. Gia, Jake, and Noah came in behind Troy.

One of the newest additions to training, Nessa, came in after Troy. Mena was with her. Nessa and Mena were Eltarians. Mena was Zordon's cousin and lived with him at the Command Center. She was the youngest member of the Ranger Guard, a team Zordon had recently put together after they'd gotten involved in a battle with the Stone Warriors against Zell. Nessa was the team's leader. After the attack on the Eltarian Government, Nessa had lost her mother, aunt, and little brother. Her father had been a traitor, helping the Rebellion pull off the attack. Nessa had been the only survivor pulled from the carnage. Troy had saved her life, but she'd also saved his. After Emma and Orion had been killed in the battle for Tommy, Troy had sunk into a deep depression. Jayden had feared they were going to lose him, but Nessa refused to coddle him and had instead given him a reason to fight. They were currently a couple.

The Samurai Rangers came in and stood at attention. Spike Skullovitch was with them. Spike often came to training sessions now. He might not be a Samurai, but he had the heart of a warrior, and after losing his father in the big battle, he'd stayed very close to Mia. Jayden wasn't entirely sure if they'd labeled their relationship yet, but it seemed like Mia was starting to fall for Spike, who'd been head over heels for her since the day they'd met.

The Legacy team teleported in. Sage was missing, but a boy Jayden didn't recognize was with them. "Guys... We have news," Kenny said.

"What's up?" Jayden asked.

"First of all, monsters are officially back in Angel Grove," Kenny began.

"Yes!" Gia cheered. She'd been waiting for that news for months. Ever since Emma and Orion had died, Gia had become a force to be reckoned with, ready to fight at all times. Jayden deeply respected her chosen method of coping with her grief, although there hadn't been many opportunities for battle since that day. Gia had gone with Troy to Eltar after the Counsel building was attacked, but the Rebels had already fled. She'd also participated in a couple of battles involving the Stone Warriors, but that had pretty much been it.

"Gia-" Troy began.

"What? I'm bored. I need an outlet," Gia said with a shrug. "Sorry, Kenny. What happened? Are you guys alright?"

"We're fine, but only because we had help," Kenny said.

"Help?" Kira asked. Her eyes fell to the unknown teenager standing with them. "Hey... He looks _freakishly_ like Doc O..."

"Kira, this is Micky," Tommy said. "He arrived with Saba in the White Tigerzord and helped us... And he is, apparently, my son."

Kira stared at him. "Your _son?_ Doc O, he looks the same age as the Legacy kids... Which means you were with Kat when he was born... So you've got some explaining to do here."

"Micky comes from the same town as Liza. The same time travel used in that case was used here, too. I don't have any memory of it, but the DNA confirms he's my son."

"So does his face," Kira said with a smirk. "And that classic brown ponytail he's got going on."

"It seems Micky is the new White Ranger," Kenny said.

Jayden felt his heart drop into his stomach. This kid was Katie's brother? And he was replacing her? He hadn't expected that news to ever come. Jayden had honestly figured Tommy would never be willing to pass his daughter's Power Coin along to anyone else.

Emily tensed beside him. That snapped him out of his shock, and Jayden automatically touched her arm, trying to soothe her.

"Welcome!" Dustin said cheerfully, breaking the awkward silence. "This is our training center. Jayden and I run it together. Fell free to check out the Food Station. It's important to eat, drink, and take care of yourself while training... Plus, I made brownies!"

Micky finally smiled. Dustin had that effect on people. "Thanks," he said. He made no attempt to move, almost like he was too embarrassed to go get something to eat. Jayden wondered what that was about.

"Come on, I'm starving," Zeke said, leading Micky away like they were old friends.

As everyone else began getting ready, Antonio put his hand on Jayden's back. "Are you okay, Buddy?" He asked softly.

"I'm fine," Jayden said quickly, flipping the switch and burying his emotions. There was a new Ranger to train. He needed to focus on that, regardless of who that Ranger was. He couldn't leave the kid to fend for himself, especially now.

 _ **MICKY**_

His stomach growled at all of the food in front of him. Micky hadn't eaten a decent meal since he'd been on the street, and he hadn't eaten at _all_ in two days. He wolfed down a sandwich and reached for another before looking at Zeke in embarrassment. Micky pulled his hand away from the food.

Zeke surprised him by handing him another sandwich. "How long has it been?" He asked softly.

"What?"

"Since the last time you ate? It's okay, Dude. No one's going to judge you if you eat a lot... But I can tell by the look in your eyes that it's been a while. Your eyes really lit up when Dustin mentioned food, but I saw you hesitate, so I brought you over myself. You've been on your own for a while, haven't you?"

"Yeah..." Micky took a bite out of his second sandwich. "Thanks, Man... Food's not always easy to come by on the street, and I refuse to steal."

"You don't have to worry about that anymore... We're Power Rangers. We take care of each other."

"I don't think my father's too thrilled about me being here."

"Tommy's in shock... He's still not over everything that happened with Katie. He'll warm up to you. Trust me, in a few days, you'll be _begging_ him to go away." Zeke smirked at him as he reached for a slice of pizza.

More people came into the huge training space. One boy went straight for Thorn, taking him aside, hugging him, and speaking to him in hushed tones. Micky wondered what that was about, but he could tell by the boy's body language that he was Thorn's boyfriend... Thorn, his cousin... He'd need to get used to that.

A girl bounced in swinging a sword around. "Who's ready?" She asked eagerly.

"Can we eat first, Tammy? I'm _starving,"_ an Asian boy said.

"You're _always_ starving," a boy with a sarcastic smile said.

"Eat fast. We have work to do, and there's no time to waste," the obvious leader of the group said. "Actually, I could go for a burger," he added quickly, sounding much more like a teenager.

The Asian kid stopped just short of the food. He looked at Liza. _"Rama lama lama,"_ he said.

Liza grinned. _"Ka dinga da dinga dong,"_ she replied.

 _"Shoo-bop sha wadda wadda yippity boom de boom."_

 _"Chang chang changity chang sha-bop!"_ They sang in unison. _"Dip da-dip da-dip doo-wop da doo-bee doo... Boogedy boogedy boogedy boogedy shoo-be doo-wop she-bop... Sha-na-na-na-na-na yippity dip de doom..."_

 _"Wop ba-ba lu-mop!"_ The boy sang.

 _"And wop bam boom!"_ They finished in unison before bursting out laughing.

"Wow, he speaks fluent Liza," Micky said with a laugh of his own. He'd missed seeing Liza smile and get excited.

A very intense girl who looked a bit like Liza was glaring at the two future Broadway stars. "What was all of that?" She asked.

"It's from _Grease,"_ the boy said smoothly, flashing her a huge grin.

"I do not understand... _Grease?"_ The girl asked.

"The musical? You know, John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John... The Queen, Stockard Channing? Honestly, Tia, I _really_ need to sit you down with a television sometime," Liza said.

"I have better things to do with my time," Tia said a bit harshly.

"It's fun, Tia," the boy said cheerfully. "You should watch a musical with me sometime!"

"I think it is more important to focus on the coming battle, Brian," Tia said. She walked away from them, clearly pissed off. Brian shrugged and began gathering food.

"Okay... Is _Elsa_ over there _always_ such an ice queen?" Micky asked.

"My sister's been through a lot," Liza said with a shrug.

"Your _sister?"_ Micky asked in confusion.

"Oh yeah. That girl is _all_ Campbell. When I ended up here, I went from being an only child to having, like, a million siblings. Tia's the oldest. Then it's me, followed by Taylor, Tye, Tessa, and Imani. That's Taylor over there." Liza pointed to the boy with the sarcastic smile.

"And your sister and brother are Power Rangers, too?"

"No, they're Chosen. It's a little bit different. Anyway, Tia and Mani were raised in Africa by our mother. When the bitch got kidnapped, she ended up having kids with Zedd. He was still evil... That's complicated... But Tanner, the oldest, was all of his evil and darkness incarnated. He's dead now, thankfully. Taylor was literally Zedd's light. Tye and Tessa are both pure light, too. Anyway, Zedd's fixed now, and he's my boyfriend, so-"

"Of _course_ you're dating a bad guy."

"Hey, Zedd's good now, like I said. He started changing back when Taylor was born, and then he met Tammy over there and he started to almost feel again..." She pointed to the bouncy girl with the sword. "And then, he started being kind of nice to Taylor and protecting him, and he kept protecting Tammy, and he even helped rescue Katie from Zell... Although I think he might regret that one now. Anyway, Sage realized he was changing, and my girl did the _impossible_ and saved Zedd, giving him back his light. And as I got to know him... Well, I understand why Galaxia loved him so much."

"Do your siblings mind you dating their father?"

"Well, Tessa likes how happy I make Zedd, and Tye's got a lot of issues and probably hasn't put it together. As for Taylor... Well, we have an unspoken agreement not to discuss the very weird dynamic going on there." Liza laughed.

They joked around for a bit longer until Micky was finally full for the first time in too long. "Now what?" He asked.

"Now you show everyone what you can do," Liza said. "Make me proud." She kissed his cheek.

Micky walked over to Jayden. "Do you have any training?" Jayden asked. He kept his tone flat and Micky wondered what he'd done to make the guy dislike him already.

"A bit," Micky said casually.

Jayden nodded. He got into a fighting stance. "Show me what you've got," he said.

Micky took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing,_ he thought. He immediately flew at Jayden with a series of well-practiced kicks. It felt good to slip back into the familiar routine of Martial Arts. His body knew what to do, and his mind was sharp and clear.

Jayden was clearly surprised, but his reflexes were incredibly strong and he avoided the attack. Micky kept going, and Jayden continued to narrowly avoid the kicks. Finally, Jayden tried fighting back and Micky understood why he was the trainer. This guy was _amazing._ Micky could barely keep up with him. Finally, without warning, Jayden hit a move that actually connected and Micky landed hard on his back.

"Micky!" Liza shouted, hurrying toward him.

Micky sat up. "I'm good," he promised her.

"Good? You're fucking _epic,_ man! Jayden wasn't holding back!" Zeke said.

Jayden extended his hand to Micky and helped him back onto his feet. "A _bit_ of training?" Jayden asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I started doing Martial Arts at the community center when I was four. I didn't stop training until recently... I'm a little out of practice," Micky said.

"You fought well, and are clearly disciplined. I'm Kevin. It is an honor to meet you," Kevin said. He reached out like he might shake his hand.

"Kevin, go check on Noah. He's all over the place tonight," Jayden said suddenly.

"Of course, Jayden!" Kevin said, snapping to attention. He ran off to go do as he was told, which Micky found kind of impressive, like anytime Jayden said to jump Kevin must listen.

"So who's next?" Micky asked.

"Me," an Asian girl said.

"I don't usually hit girls," Micky said cautiously.

"Trust me, I can take it."

"Mia-" Jayden objected.

"He's good, Jayden... So let me help him get even better," Mia said, cutting him off.

"The monsters are back. You should focus on Spike. He's not a Ranger. He needs all the help he can get," Jayden protested.

"I can help Spike," a guy offered cheerfully.

Micky swore Jayden glared for a second, but then he smiled at the guy. "Great, Antonio. Thanks," he said, keeping emotion out of his voice. Micky was positive he was frustrated.

Mia grinned at Micky. "Hit me with your best shot," she said.

" _Fire away!"_ Brian sang loudly, making several of the others laugh. Apparently, they weren't all born with sticks up their asses.

Micky and Mia sparred for a bit. He held back, not wanting to hurt her, but Mia didn't go easy on him. She hit him with everything she had until he finally decided it was stupid to hold back. Things got interesting after that. Mia could _definitely_ hold her own. After he missed a kick slightly, she finally got him on his back.

"Great job!" Mia said, immediately helping him back up. "Here's how you can do even better." She began coaching him, something that actually made Micky feel welcome.

After a while, Micky took a break. Taylor stood by him, apparently taking a food break. "So, you're Liza's kid brother? I'm her best friend," Micky said.

"I'm Taylor," he replied. "I didn't know Liza had a best friend."

"I didn't know she had siblings, so I guess we're even," Micky said with a grin. "Liza and I both grew up pretty fucked up, so neither of us let a lot of people in..."

"Welcome to the club. We should make t-shirts."

"You're sarcastic."

"No, _really?_ Did you _just_ catch on to that?" Taylor shook his head.

"Sarcasm is my native language. We'll get along fine." Micky saw Jayden standing in a corner with a cute blonde girl who was obviously trying to comfort him. "Is that his girlfriend?" Micky asked.

"Who, Emily? No," Taylor said. "She's the Yellow Samurai."

"Does he _have_ a girlfriend? Because he's _way_ too serious. The guy needs to get some action."

"His girlfriend was Katie, who tried to kill him while she was possessed by her evil mother. She woke up from that, broke his heart by breaking up with him, then turned evil and murdered Mike, the Green Samurai, and Mentor Ji, who basically _raised_ Jayden and who took an attack Katie had meant for Jayden. And did I forget to mention that Mike was Emily's boyfriend? You're lucky they didn't fucking try to kill you on sight, Dude... Maybe get the whole story before you make asshole comments so freely, or you might end up on the wrong side of a Samurai sword. Just saying... Don't be a dick." Taylor paused, then shrugged. "Sorry. I don't have a filter."

Micky was stunned. "I appreciate the honesty, actually... Man, no _wonder_ he was acting like he didn't want his team around me," he mumbled.

"Don't take it personally," Taylor said, gentler. "Jayden trusted Katie. Not only did he love her, but he let her into every aspect of his life , and he treated her like part of his team... And it got two people he really cared about killed. It's not his fault, but Jayden blames himself. Just give him some time to get used to you."

Micky nodded. "Sorry for my dick response... I just didn't get why he was so pissed at me... This is a major change for me, too, you know? I'm still trying to figure everything out."

"Look, it took Liza some time to adjust, too... And me. I'm only a little over a year old. The entire world is confusing to me... So I just take it a day at a time and try to figure out which way is up."

Micky nodded at him. "Thanks, Taylor. I appreciate the pep talk."

Taylor shrugged. "No problem," he said. Then, he hurried over to Josh.

Micky decided to try to give everyone time to get used to him. He hoped he'd be able to get used to them, too, but he knew this was going to be a tough road for a while.

 _ **THORN**_

He was definitely having some mixed emotions. Thorn stayed close to Caleb during training, but eventually, he calmed down. Thanks to a vision, Caleb had already known about Micky showing up.

Sage arrived very late. She took Thorn and Caleb aside. "Ashley from Turbo is dead," Sage said softly.

"What happened?" Thorn asked in shock.

"The Eltarian Sorceress from Stone Hollow," Caleb said with sudden realization. "I heard her say something in my vision, but the shock of seeing Kat pushed it out of my head. She mentioned killing someone's mother to get her hands on the girl Zell sacrificed... "

"So her daughter's dead, too?" Thorn asked in horror. "Oh Gods... She was just a kid!"

"I know... I told Dad and Tanya. Dad took it hard, but I think he'll be okay. Tanya kind of freaked out, and you know Dad puts his emotions aside for others when they need him. That's part of why I told them together... I was hoping they could help each other," Sage said. "I still haven't told Andros... I was thinking of asking Kira to do it, but maybe I should do it myself."

"Don't overwhelm yourself, Sage," Thorn said. "It's okay to delegate."

Sage nodded. "You're right, but Andros is like family... I'll think about it. Anyway, how is Micky doing?"

"He's... I don't know," Thorn admitted. "He's got the skill. He held his own against Jayden, and against Mia... But Jayden freaked out when the Samurai team got too close to him."

Sage nodded. "I'll talk to Jayden later. I'm sure he's having some PTKD."

"PTKD?" Caleb asked.

Thorn knew what his twin meant. "Post Traumatic Katie Disorder," he said softly.

"Ah... Yeah, I've seen several cases of that," Caleb replied.

"Thorn... I know this is asking _way_ too much... But can you work with Micky? It's not his fault his sister was evil... And I think the two of us can help him better than anyone else can," Sage said.

Thorn took a deep breath. "He's family," he said with a nod. "Of course I'll help him."

"Are you sure you can handle it?"

"You don't sense any evil hiding inside of him, do you?"

"No. Micky's heart is pure."

"Then I'll help him. I have PTKD, too, but Micky _isn't_ her. And the only way to make sure he never becomes like her is to be here for him now. If he feels like no one wants him around, he'll be easy prey for Zell. I refuse to let another cousin go down that path."

Sage hugged him. "I'm proud of you."

Thorn walked over to Micky. "So… Hi," he said awkwardly. "I know this is probably nearly as weird for you as it is for us… But I'd like to try and work with you, seeing as how we're family." He paused.

Micky eyed him with surprise. "Okay… Sure," he replied after a minute.

"Sage and I have been training in Martial Arts since we could stand. Our dad runs a Dojo. His name is Adam Park. We're related to you through… Through our mom." It was still hard for Thorn to talk about her sometimes. He missed her so much. "Her name was Casey, and she was one of triplets with your dad and our Uncle David. He lives with his family on the Reservation. We'll introduce you to him when you're ready."

"That would be cool… I've always wanted to get more in touch with my Native American side." Micky paused. "So… If this isn't too awkward… What happened to your mom?"

Thorn cringed. "She… She died a little over a year ago. Most of our Power Coins had been stolen. I sort of had a meltdown, and the others weren't doing much better. Mom decided to go get them back. She took on Lord Zedd by herself, and she should have survived… Even Zedd said she shouldn't have died from what he did to her… But there was an Underworld God who really hated my family… A long time ago, our ancestor Rose stole a soul from him. She gave her life for the man she loved, Caius. He was part of the original Chosen. Caius is still alive because he was cursed with immortality, and he's Caleb's father. Caleb is my boyfriend…"

"I thought I got that vibe from you and that guy," Micky said.

Thorn raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing bad, I swear. I'm not homophobic," Micky said quickly. Thorn sensed something coming off of him and wondered if his cousin wasn't exactly straight either, but Micky didn't elaborate. "I just… I could tell you guys were in love. It's the way you move together."

Thorn relaxed a bit. "Yeah… Anyway, it's complicated, but Aunt Kat killed Caleb… He died in my arms. Sage brought him and Rocky back. Rocky is Zeke's dad, and Aunt Kat killed him, too. She was okay when she saved Rocky, but saving Caleb, too, was way too much and she got trapped in the Underworld. Unlike Rose, Sage actually escaped, after about two weeks of being in a coma. It was awful, but she survived. The Underworld God was furious. Not only had she saved a son of Caius, after he'd claimed every single one would be damned to belong to him, but Caleb and I were in love. See, when Rose saved Caius, the God vowed that no son of Caius would ever love a daughter of Rose. At the time, Rose laughed in his face… Because she knew that the very first son of Caius would fall in love with one of her _male_ descendants."

"Dude… That's amazing," Micky said with a hearty laugh. Thorn couldn't help but relax more as Micky started warming up to him and dropping his guard. The laugh was genuine, and it reminded him vaguely of when Tommy had been much happier.

Thorn smiled before turning serious again. "When Mom left her body, the Underworld God severed her connection to it… And she died." He took a deep breath, wiping away a tear that had managed to escape.

"I'm so sorry, Thorn… Really. That's horrible. If I had a decent parent in my life, I don't know what I'd have done in your situation."

"Thanks… Anyway, there was more… Rose had promised that God that a descendant of hers would be the end of him one day… And my mom was. She runs the Underworld now… And even though I miss her more than I can ever put into words, I know she's doing important things, and helping people like she always did… During our battle, she sent Zeke back to us… And she helps Caleb when he gets trapped… Because his destiny is to die and come back, unfortunately, and there have been a few times since that first one… Mom even saved Rita when she got her light back."

"It sounds like a lot has happened in this town of yours…"

"You have no idea. Don't worry. We'll help you catch up… But first… I want to train with you, Micky. Show me what you've got." Thorn didn't wait for Micky to attack him, and instead made the first move. Micky took a minute to adjust, but pretty soon, he was holding his own. Thorn was impressed. Apparently, Micky had been trained well. No matter what he threw his way, his cousin adapted.

 _Look after him, my Little Tadpole,_ his mother said softly in his head.

Thorn didn't hear his mother very often. Sage was much more in touch with the Shaman side of their heritage than he was, although she tried not to contact their mother much because it hurt too much. Thorn tensed slightly at the sound of her voice, but it was extremely comforting.

 _Mom… I miss you,_ he thought. _I love you._

 _I love you, too, my Little Tadpole. I am with you, your sister, and your father always._

 _Can we trust him, Mom? Is Sage right? Or will he turn out like… Like_ she _did?_

 _I promise you Micky is different than Katie, my sweet boy… He has a much gentler soul, even if he is rough around the edges. He needs you to look after him. Please, Thorn… My brother is not ready to be the guide Micky needs on this journey. He needs time. Take him under your wing and you will all go far. This is meant to be, just as it was meant to be when Liza joined the team._

 _I understand, Mom… I'll protect him._

 _I am so proud of you, my Tadpole. I love you._

Just like that, she was gone. Thorn realized Micky was staring at him. "Are you okay?" Micky asked cautiously.

"Yeah…" Thorn said. He shook off his grief and focused, knowing now more than ever that he had to help his cousin. He couldn't save Katie… He'd had to kill her, and that had destroyed something in him that could never be repaired… But maybe helping Micky could give him back a small piece of himself. "Come on… Let's go again."

 _ **ANDROS**_

He was smiling as he watched the scene in front of him. Zhane sat with Karone making goofy faces at baby Leo. Karone's son had been an unexpected miracle, a tiny piece of her husband Leo that had survived beyond the battle that had taken his life. She'd found out she was pregnant right after they lost him, and she'd decided to name their son for his father.

"You're such a dork, Dad," Zoey, Zhane's daughter, said with a laugh.

"Seriously," Gabriella, Karone and Leo's teenaged daughter who was just barely younger than Zoey said with a roll of her eyes. She went by Ella, and she had absolutely nailed the role of angsty teenager, but the girl had lost her father. Andros couldn't blame her.

"Come on, Ella. Let's get out of here," Zoey said, dragging Ella away.

"The girls certainly describe you well," V said with a laugh. V was the love of Andros' life. They'd been married fairly recently, but she'd been his first love. She was also Zhane's younger sister.

Andros happily watched Karone and V laugh as Zhane made a fool out of himself for the sake of amusing the infant Leo. He was in a pretty good mood for once when D.E.C.A. announced an incoming call from Kira. Andros immediately tensed and excused himself to take the phone call.

"Has something happened? Did Zell make a move? Is everything alright?" Andros asked.

"Okay, first of all, _breathe_ Andros," Kira said. "Second… Yes, Zell made a move, but we're not calling everyone back in just yet. Andros… You should sit down."

"What's going on, Kira?" Andros asked, not sitting.

"Zell brought Katherine back. She's, like, a thousand times scarier apparently, and we should all probably be very nervous."

"Katherine's back? How? Is Tommy alright?"

"Doc O is pretty freaked out, especially since a long-lost son he never knew he had just resurfaced Liza-style, and took Katie's spot on the team."

Andros was stunned. He hadn't expected anyone to ever replace Katie, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. He'd been very attached to Katie for her entire life. He'd taken it hard when she turned evil, especially since her choices had resulted in her death. "I see… That sounds complicated," he said with no emotion in his voice.

"It is… But it's not why I called. Andros… You _really_ need to sit down."

"Kira, I'm fine-"

"Andros. _Please."_

Now, he was terrified. What could possibly be worse than what she'd already told him? Andros cautiously sat down. "Okay," he said. "Tell me what's going on, Kira. Please."

Kira sighed. "Zell's bitch of a sorceress brought him a sacrifice to bring Katherine back… It was a kid, Andros… And not a random one."

"Who did he kill, Kira?"

"Jodi… Ashley's daughter… And there's more."

Andros was already shaking at that news, but he forced himself to ask, "What else?"

"Felina took Jodi from her home, Andros… And she killed Ashley to get to her."

Andros felt everything start to spin. His heart was racing. This couldn't be true. "She's… Ashley's _dead?"_ He asked in shock.

"I'm so sorry, Andros… I know you cared about her."

Andros forced himself to take several deep breaths. "Thank you for telling me, Kira. Please contact me again when you know the funeral details… I should be there, especially since Cassie can't be."

"Of course. Call me if you need anything, okay? Even just a friend to talk to."

"Thank you." Andros disconnected the call. He stood up and found that was a bad idea as he immediately fell to his knees.

"Andros?" V called from the door to the room. "What's wrong?" She rushed to his side, helping him get back to his feet.

"I… That was Kira," he said numbly.

"What happened?" V coaxed him.

"Zell sacrificed Jodi… Ashley's daughter… To bring Katherine Hillard back from the dead. She was twelve."

"He murdered an innocent child?" V looked both horrified and furious.

"Yes… And to get to the girl, the sorceress, Felina… She…" He shook his head and tried again. "She killed Ashley. Ashley is dead." Maybe if he kept saying it, it would start to make sense to him.

"Oh, Andros…" V softened. "I may not have liked her, but amnesia was a fair enough consequence for being such a shallow, reckless person… She certainly didn't deserve to die like that… I will not claim to feel grief at her loss, but I know you do… And that pain, I do feel… More than that, I mourn the loss of her daughter. The child was innocent and pure of heart. What happened to her is tragic, and I am terribly sorry to hear it." V wrapped him in her arms. "Tell me what you need, my love."

"I need to go to Earth… When they have the funeral. Someone should be there… TJ and Carlos are dead, and Cassie's in the past… I need to be there, V… Please don't be angry with me."

"Andros… I could never be angry with you for caring as deeply as you do. You have a good heart. I didn't like her, but the two of you dated, however briefly… I know you care. And she was a Power Ranger, for better or worse. That alone is enough to make you go."

Andros kissed his wife. "Thank you for understanding," he said. He walked back to the room everyone else had been in. "Zhane… Karone… Something's happened," he said awkwardly.

"What's wrong?" Zhane asked. Karone immediately stiffened, like she knew this was going to be bad.

Andros took a deep breath. "There is no easy way to say this. Ashley's dead… Felina killed her, and Zell used her daughter to resurrect Katherine."

"Oh God… Ash is dead?" Zhane asked in shock.

Karone was less in shock and more angry. "We'll make them pay," she vowed.

"I need to return to Earth for the funeral, once the plans are set," Andros said. "I don't know if you guys want to come with me…"

"Of course we'll be with you," Zhane said firmly. Karone nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, guys. I'll let you know when we need to leave. Excuse me… I'd like to lay down now," Andros said. He walked away. V gave him his space, clearly realizing how badly he needed it. Only when Andros reached his room did he allow himself to cry softly.

 _I'm sorry, Ashley,_ he thought.

 _ **TAYLOR**_

Things kept getting worse. Taylor sighed as he stared at the knife in the sink. He tried not to hurt himself anymore, but sometimes he still slipped up. For a while, cutting had been his only coping mechanism, and it still appealed to him when he was at his most depressed. He was dangerously close to doing it again.

 _Stop it,_ he scolded himself. Things might not be perfect, but his life had gotten significantly better lately. He had friends. He had a family. He had people who genuinely loved him. He had Josh. That alone was enough to keep him going most of the time.

Taylor finished washing the dishes, putting the knife away, and walked upstairs to his room. He found Tye sitting on his bed. "Hey," he said. "Are you okay?"

Tye looked at him. "Are _you?"_ She asked. For a long time, Tye hadn't really spoken. Their father had horribly disfigured her because she'd disobeyed his order to attack Zeke and steal his Power Coin. She'd been so severely traumatized by the attack, she'd barely spoken, and even when she had, she either stuttered or only said one or two words at a time. Once he'd turned good again, their father had healed her face, but it had taken months for Tye to begin to trust people in general, and she still refused to be around Zedd without Taylor or Sage by her side. Slowly but surely, she'd started speaking normally again, and although she wasn't quite the same way she'd been before, she was doing much better now.

"I'm fine," Taylor replied.

"Liar."

"Why ask if you don't want to accept my answer?"

"Taylor… I _know_ you. Tell me what's wrong."

Taylor sighed. "This week is Thanksgiving, Tye… And I don't want it to be."

Tye nodded. She pulled Taylor down beside her and hugged him. "It'll be okay, Taylor. It's different now."

"I know… But it's hard, Sis. It's like… It's like I keep waiting for it to happen again, you know?"

"I do… But it won't. She can't hurt you anymore, Taylor." She hugged him tighter. Taylor felt safer and calmer. Tye wasn't his twin, but they were born one day apart and their father had aged them to the same age. Taylor and Tye could feel each other, and they were extremely close. Feeling her energy wrapped so tightly around his was comforting. "I love you," she said softly.

"I love you, too," Taylor replied even softer. He allowed her to continue to hold him as they both drifted off to sleep, and for once, the nightmares stayed away.

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _Just a quick reminder that the characters of Casey, Zoey, V, and Lucy were introduced to me by Aura MacKenzie. I'm giving credit where it is due! Also, I've started working on_ Go, Go, Wildcats _again and am writing it at the same time as I write this fic, so maybe Cassie and Lucas will make appearances here later on after all. We'll see! Thanks for reading this chapter, and I'll see you with the next one soon._


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

 _ **ROSE**_

After they'd helped save Tommy, the Rangers from Operation Overdrive had scattered. Dax had murdered Ronny, revealing the fact that he'd turned traitor and had been working for Merkhet. Most of the team had shunned even his memory after that, not even going to his funeral. Only Mack had shown up for that. As far as he was concerned, Dax turning evil had been complicated. He'd done it in exchange for the promise that he'd be able to take care of his family, which included a seriously ill child. Rose felt bad for the kid, but that didn't mean she could support Dax after what he'd done. The bastard had literally shot one of his teammates in the head. There was no coming back from that.

Will and Rose had both gone back to their normal lives, not wanting to remember the battle that had cost the Rangers so much. As far as Rose knew, Will had lost touch with Mack and Tyzonn, just like she had. He hadn't contacted her either. That was why she was so surprised to receive a text message that said, _It's Will. Need help ASAP. Trouble found me._ Considering Will excelled at getting himself out of trouble, this was especially alarming.

Rose immediately tracked his phone and headed off to help him, sending a quick text to Mack. _Will's in trouble. I'm on my way. Back me up? And contact Ty._ Then, she sent Mack the location and hurried there herself.

When she arrived at the seemingly abandoned warehouse, Rose could feel someone watching her. She didn't have her powers, nor did she have the morpher that could have restored them.

"For a smart person, you're not very intelligent," a voice said mockingly.

Rose spun around and frowned. A woman she didn't know smiled at her and it was absolutely terrifying. The woman had blonde hair, but her skin was tinted blue and her eyes were red. "Who the hell are _you?"_ Rose demanded.

"Respect those who came before you, my dear Rose... I'm a Pink Ranger, too."

"You don't _look_ like one of the good guys."

The woman laughed. "I never said that I was... My name is Katherine, Rose... And I've come here to kill you."

Rose pulled a knife out of her purse. "Too bad you're going to be disappointed," she said. _Where's Will?_ She thought frantically. _Is he even here? Oh fuck, what if she...?_

"Look to your left, Rose," Katherine said cruelly.

Rose didn't want to, but she did it. To her absolute horror, she saw a bloody form lying on the ground. _Please, no... Don't be Will... Please don't be Will,_ she thought frantically.

"Go on, Pink Ranger. Check on him," Katherine said.

Rose frowned, but she had to do it... Will could still be alive. She raced to him and knelt beside him, rolling him onto his back. To her relief, Will was still breathing, and he looked at her in horror.

"Go... It's a... Trap..." Will said. "She took... My phone..."

"It's too late for that," Rose said. She took off her jacket, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. "Stay with me, Will... You can still make it." That was a lie, and she knew it. Unless someone with magical healing powers showed up in the next two minutes or so, Will would bleed out.

Katherine laughed before grabbing Rose and strangling her with impossible strength. "Silly little Pink Ranger... You're _all_ going to die today," she said.

"Not before _you_ do!" Someone shouted. Katherine's arm took a hard hit and she released Rose.

"Mack!" Rose croaked out with relief. She struggled to catch her breath.

Mack was morphed, a fact that made Rose feel better. At least _one_ of them still had their powers. Of course, Mack wasn't an android anymore. He'd become human. Katherine could kill him. Rose hoped the morph would be enough to protect him.

Katherine recovered quickly and went straight for Mack. It shocked Rose when she pulled out a sword and plunged it into his chest. "Mack! No!" She screamed as his morph failed.

Katherine pulled the sword out of Mack's chest and came toward Rose. She tried to defend herself, but Katherine was too skilled, and Rose didn't have much of a weapon. Katherine raised the sword into the air and brought it down toward Rose's neck.

 _ **TYZONN**_

He arrived just in time to watch in horror as the woman decapitated Rose. Her head rolled across the grass and landed by the bloody mess that was Will. Tyzonn wanted to scream, but there was no time to panic. Mack was still moving, barely, but there was too much blood, and this monster had turned back toward him. She was going to finish him off.

 _She looks and feels Eltarian,_ Tyzonn registered. He knew that meant she most likely had powers and would not be easy to destroy. Most Eltarians he'd met were incredibly peaceful people, but she apparently was not. As she raised her sword again, Tyzonn did the only thing he could... He turned his body to mercury and slipped between the woman and Mack, taking the attack. Her sword was made of gold, and the mercury reacted with it.

"What is this?" She demanded. The color changed, probably making her think he'd done serious damage. Of course, the damage could be undone, but she apparently didn't know the science that happened when gold met mercury.

She was _just_ distracted enough. Tyzonn turned back into his usual state and knocked her away with great force. She flew into a tree, stopping her from attacking for a minute. Tyzonn checked on Will and realized he was dead. There was no question that Rose was as well. Grief filled his heart, but Mack was still alive. Tyzonn could stay and fight, but he might lose, and Mack would definitely die. He sighed, knowing he had no other options.

"Adam! It's Tyzonn. I need help," he said into the communicator Adam Park had given Mack in case of an emergency.

"What's going on?" Adam replied, much to Tyzonn's relief.

"We're under attack. Will and Rose... They're _gone,_ Adam. We lost them. Mack's barely hanging on by a thread. I'm alone trying to hold her off."

"I'll have Alpha teleport you to us immediately," Adam replied. Ten seconds later, as the evil woman lunged toward them, they were teleported out of there. Tyzonn was carrying Mack as they landed at the Command Center.

"Ty, bring Mack here," Adam said urgently.

Tyzonn carried Mack to the healing bed. Zordon stood over him with alarm on his face. "Alpha, get Sage and Troy. Hurry. There is no time to waste," he said.

Alpha Twenty-Six immediately teleported them in. Tyzonn was relieved to see them. "Tyzonn? What happened?" Sage asked. She and Troy rushed to Mack.

"A woman... I think she was Eltarian," Tyzonn said.

"Was she one of the Rebels?" Troy asked.

"Rebels?" Tyzonn asked.

"Members of the Eltarian Rebellion have been making themselves known here on Earth recently," Adam said.

"I'm not sure who she was... She was very powerful... She had blonde hair, and her eyes were blood red."

Sage tensed. "Aunt Kat..." She said in horror as she and Troy tried to heal Mack.

"Wait... Tommy's wife? I thought she was dead," Tyzonn said.

"Not so much anymore," Adam said. "Ty, tell us what happened."

"Will had already lost too much blood to be saved when I got there. I saw her attack Rose. She... She took her head off." As his adrenaline wore off, the true horror of that began to hit him. His legs started to give out.

"Easy, Tyzonn," Zordon said gently, steadying him. He helped him sit down.

Two more people teleported in. "Holy shit..." Kira said as she took in the scene.

"Is he...?" Bridge asked, motioning toward Mack.

"Mack is alive," Zordon said quickly. "I believe Tyzonn brought him here just in time to save his life."

"Xander's on his way," Kira said to Adam. Technically, Adam, Kira, Bridge, and Xander were all from different teams, but they'd had their powers restored when Operation Overdrive had lost theirs, and they had promised to always come help if the team needed them. Their team of Legends had also consisted of Casey, Adam's wife, and Tori, but Casey had died a while ago, and Tori had been killed in the battle to save Tommy. Kira turned to Tyzonn. "Where are Rose and Will?" She asked.

Tyzonn shook his head. "We lost them," he said sadly.

"Damnit!" Kira slammed her hands down on a table in frustration.

"Kira..." Bridge said gently.

"No! I'm sick and fucking tired of losing Rangers!" She declared.

As Xander teleported in, he apparently heard that comment. "Oh no... Who?" He asked nervously.

"Rose and Will," Adam said, taking on the role of team leader. "Katherine killed them."

"Katherine? Oh shit..." Xander shook his head. "Are you alright, Tyzonn, Mate?"

"I don't have the option not to be," Tyzonn said with determination. He'd see this fight through to the end. He owed his fallen friends that much.

Sage took a deep breath. "Mack's going to be okay," she promised. "Troy and I have him stabilized."

"He'll need to rest for a bit, but Mom's right," Troy added. "His vitals are getting stronger every second."

"You saved his life, Ty," Adam said soothingly. Tyzonn nodded. He forced himself to stay in battle mode. He could grieve later, when everyone was safe. For now, he had to remain vigilant.

 _ **THE ALCHEMIST**_

She watched as Katherine walked through the door empty-handed. "I see you have failed to acquire it," the Alchemist said with a frown.

"I murdered two members of the team and gravely wounded a third," Katherine said harshly. "I do not consider that a _failure."_

"You were meant to bring Tyzonn to me _alive,"_ the Alchemist reminded her.

"He lives... But he destroyed this pathetic weapon you made for me." Katherine showed her the golden sword.

The Alchemist shook her head. "It is not _destroyed_ , Katherine. This is merely an amalgamation formed when gold comes into contact with mercury. It can be fixed simply by heating it up and removing the mercury. Do you truly know _nothing_ of science?"

"Well, I'm sorry, but I took chemistry a lifetime ago. Forgive me if I forgot a few things!"

"I am _surrounded_ by amateurs..." The Alchemist sighed and began fixing Katherine's sword. The fool may not have deserved it, but the Alchemist had been instructed by Zell to keep his spoiled princess of an offspring armed, and she did not desire to face his wrath on that particular day.

Tyzonn's unique abilities as a Mercurian might prove useful to the Alchemist. She desperately wanted to get him under her control so she could experiment on him. She knew she shouldn't have allowed Zell to entrust Katherine with such an important task.

"If you want something done right, you must do it yourself," she mumbled. She would have to capture and enslave the Mercurian herself, when the time was right. He would be on high alert now, so this was not the appropriate time. _Soon,_ she decided. Unlike the spoiled fool, _she_ would not fail.

 _ **TIA**_

She was surprised to come home and find Brian's car in the driveway. Tia prepared herself for whatever had prompted the visit. Knowing Brian, it could be anything from a Chosen crisis to him just wanting to say hello or annoy her by blowing kisses at her. Brian was a flirt, but Tia had no interest in dating anyone. She still wasn't ready to consider letting a boy touch her... Not after what had happened while her mother was missing... Tia might not have let it break her fully, but when Zell sent Nick from Mystic Force to attack her, she'd stopped being able to let anyone in. She barely even let her siblings get close to her.

Still, no matter how hard she tried to push, Brian refused to go away. She'd come to accept that, and she even appreciated having him around now. Brian seemed to understand Tia in ways other people did not, and she sort of liked knowing that, no matter what, he was there for her. Tia had always been fiercely independent. She had essentially raised Imani on her own for the first two years of her sister's life while their mother grieved the loss of their father. Her childhood had ended the day her father died, but Tia wasn't angry about that. It had made her stronger.

As Tia entered the house, she was surprised to see Brian sitting on the couch with Liza snuggled in his arms. They were watching a musical of some sort and Tia couldn't understand why that upset her so much.

 _Liza already has everything else that should be yours,_ a voice taunted her. _She has Galaxia's personality, charm, and powers._ She _should be Chosen, not_ you. _You can't even communicate with animals. You are_ nothing. _Brian was the only thing that was yours, and now she's taken him, too._

"Tia!" Brian cried cheerfully. He jumped up and ran to her. "We were just watching _High School Musical Three._ Join us?"

"I have not seen the first two," Tia said practically. "Nor do I want to."

"Come on... It'll be fun! I'll make popcorn."

"No thank you, Brian. I have more important things to focus on," she said coldly.

"What crawled up _your_ ass today?" Liza asked.

Tia glared at her, saying nothing before heading out to the backyard. Imani was talking to Winifred. "Hi, Tia!" Imani said, running into her arms. Tia immediately put her annoyance and anger aside and hugged her baby sister with a smile on her face.

"How was school, Mani?" She asked kindly.

"Awesome! Look what Vinny made for me!" Imani showed Tia a strange device with many cogs and coils attached to it.

"What is it?" Tia asked.

"A secret, so don't tell!" Imani turned a knob and the coils and cogs began moving. A soothing melody began to play before a beam of light burst out of the strange creation. It was blinding and Tia was glad she hadn't looked straight at it.

"Why did Vinny give this to you?" Tia asked.

"To protect me from the bad man, and from the dark," Imani replied. "As long as I have this, I can make any place light up. And it plays a lullaby, to make me feel better if I get scared."

"That was very kind of him."

"Vinny's _always_ nice to me." Imani beamed at her.

Suddenly, Tia felt Winifred nudging her back with her nose. Tia automatically pet the horse, who responded with a content _Thank you. I do enjoy being pet._

Tia pulled her hand away as she heard this. "I... Did you just...?" She stuttered.

 _You can hear me!_ Winifred said eagerly.

Tia shook her head. She must be losing her mind. " _Can_ you?" Imani asked in wonder.

"Can I _what?"_ Tia asked.

"Can you understand Winnie?"

"I... No. No, that's not one of my abilities..." Tia shook her head. It was supposed to be. She knew that. It was one of Galaxia's strongest gifts... That and creating portals, as well as levitation.

 _You have Xia's powers from the necklace you wear,_ Winifred reminded her helpfully.

Tia touched the necklace. It felt warm in her hands. _You had the power all along, my dear Tia,_ Galaxia's voice said in her head. _You repressed it when Imani was born so you could focus on caring for her, but it was always inside of you. You_ are _my descendant, and you are Chosen for a reason. It's not just about birth order. Please stop doubting yourself, and stop taking it out on Liza. You are better than that, Tia._

She hadn't expected any of this, but Galaxia was right. _I will apologize,_ she promised. Liza didn't deserve her wrath. She knew that... It had just bothered her that the one part of Tia's life that felt like it was truly hers had suddenly gotten so close to her sister.

"Excuse me, Mani," Tia said. She was ashamed of herself. Why had she acted so childishly? She walked back inside and took a deep breath before sitting beside Liza on the couch. "I am sorry for dismissing you earlier," she said. "Please explain what we are watching?"

Liza smiled easily. "You should really watch the first two, but this one's the best by far, so let me break it down for you," Liza said. "See the blonde girl who is clearly plotting? That's _Sharpay._ She is _totally_ my spirit animal." Liza laughed, although Tia wasn't sure why that was supposed to be funny. Liza continued explaining the plot, and soon enough, Tia was able to at least follow the basic story.

"I'm glad you joined us, Tia! Popcorn?" Brian offered with a huge grin.

"Sure," Tia said, allowing him to pass the bowl to her. She tried to relax and just watch the movie, but that was difficult for her. Tia was never really able to relax. There was always something that needed to be done.

Watching Brian and Liza enthusiastically act out the songs, complete with dancing and over-the-top facial expressions, Tia was both amused and bothered. What was happening to her? Was she jealous of how well Brian and Liza got along? That didn't make any sense. Brian was free to have any friends he liked, so why did this get under her skin? Did she feel something deeper than friendship for Brian?

 _Impossible,_ she told herself. _He is far too goofy._ The truth, however, was that Tia had come to enjoy Brian's goofy nature. He was the only person who could easily make Tia laugh. She treasured those moments more than she wanted to admit.

Tia watched Brian smile as he watched Liza belt out some song lyrics with everything she had. When he swept her into his arms, she could no longer deny what she was feeling... She _was_ jealous. Tia didn't sing unless it was in private, usually for a ritual, or when she sang the African lullaby their mother used to sing to comfort Imani at night. She didn't dance or act or even enjoy watching movies. Brian was passionate about American culture and was determined to fit into American society perfectly. Tia still struggled to blend in and understand the culture. They were so different... She was always stoic, studious, and serious, while Brian was rarely without a laugh or a funny comment. She was a bit of a control freak, while Brian was wild and carefree. He loved playing pranks, while Tia preferred order and following rules. Yet, for some reason, Brian had chosen to attach himself to her. Tia realized now how much she took for granted that he would remain by her side always. She might not know exactly what she felt for him, but it was clearly more than friendship.

"Who's up for _Descendants?"_ Liza asked as the movie ended.

"Oooh, me!" Angie said as she walked in and heard her. "I completely relate to that movie."

"Tia?" Liza asked.

"I think I have had enough of musicals for today," Tia said, standing to leave and forcing herself not to sound harsh. She really didn't want to keep snapping at Liza, even if she was jealous of her. Liza was still her younger sister. It was Tia's job to lead the current generation of Campbells, and that included Liza. Blood and duty came before boys.

"Come on, Tia," Brian said with a pout. "You'll love it, I promise." He touched her arm gently. Tia couldn't deny his energy soothed her.

"Alright," she agreed. She sat down beside Brian, causing him to grin. Angie sat beside Liza. The two weren't sisters, but they got along extremely well. Angie and Liza shared similar views on what constituted proper use of their magic. Tia was much stricter about how she used hers. She had trained herself for years and was too disciplined to deviate from those beliefs now.

Brian started the movie as Angie used her magic to instantly manifest more popcorn while Liza encouraged that behavior. Tia ignored the impulse to protest and forced herself to focus on the movie.

 _Sometimes, it is important to relax and enjoy yourself,_ Galaxia said in her mind. _Do it while you can, Tia... The battle has already begun._

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **TAYLOR**_

He was standing in the woods, trying to focus on anything but what day it was. He had left the house before the sun rose and hadn't stopped walking. The last time he'd done that, he had run away from home to try to protect his family. He'd ended up crossing through several states, but in the end, Josh had brought him back to Angel Grove.

"I never should have gone home," Taylor mumbled. He knew he'd had to, of course. Taylor was Chosen. They needed him, or they'd die... But going home had led to everything that had happened with his mother, and it still hurt so much...

A strange energy approached him. Taylor snapped to attention, looking up, but it was only a bird. He paused. "Wait... I know you..." He said cautiously.

The bird flew closer to him. Suddenly, a man emerged from the trees. "Incubus..." The man said with a frown. "You are a bit far from Angel Grove."

Taylor recognized him from their recent battle against Zell and the Rebels. "Lido, right?" He asked.

"Yes," Lido replied.

"The name's Taylor, _not_ incubus."

"Taylor. What brings you to Stone Hollow?"

"I don't know... I just kept walking and ended up here... I was avoiding my house."

"Caius is concerned for you. He asked that when I find you, I bring you somewhere safe. Do you have a preference?"

Taylor knew Lido was magically bound to Caius because Sage had freed him from Zell, who'd turned him evil. "I don't care... Just not my house," Taylor replied. "Preferably nowhere that's celebrating Thanksgiving."

Lido nodded. "Come with me," he said. "Zuzu, watch for any trouble." Zuzu, the bird, flew overhead.

"What's with the bird, anyway?" Taylor asked.

"I am an Aviary. I communicate with birds. Zuzu is a phelinx, and he is also my familiar."

"Is he from Earth?"

"No. The phelinx is a noble species native only to Eltar."

"He's cool looking."

Lido surprised him by smiling at that. "Zuzu is beautiful," he agreed. He didn't look as intimidating with a smile on his face, but Taylor knew Lido's history. He was known as the Executioner, and he was probably the deadliest member of the Rebellion in history. It was a damn good thing he was on _their_ side now.

Taylor followed Lido until they reached a beautiful bit of land. Taylor could feel the magic. "This feels like Sage's family's Reservation," he said.

"This is another Reservation," Lido said. He paused when he saw someone. "Hello, Mystic," he greeted the man who clearly had a lot of power. Taylor recognized him, too.

"Amos, right?" Taylor asked.

"Correct, Little Incubus," Amos said with a bright smile.

"Taylor."

"Taylor. What brings you here?"

"The boy has requested to be somewhere that does not celebrate the holiday," Lido explained.

"We celebrate this day, but not as a day of gluttony and fun. This is a day of mourning and honoring our ancestors."

"Why today?" Taylor asked.

"Did you know that the first Thanksgiving ended in a slaughter?"

Taylor raised an eyebrow at that news. "They didn't exactly cover that in history class."

Amos laughed. "I imagine they would not. Come, Taylor. You are welcome here. We shall feed you and give you a sanctuary for the day."

"You aren't going to send me home?"

"I can see the burden you carry, Taylor. I know why you need to be away from there today." He paused. "You stay, too, He with the Spirit of the Bird."

"There is no need for that," Lido argued.

"Hush! Aviaries need food, too." Amos didn't give him time to refuse as he led them both deeper onto the Reservation. Inside of a house, Taylor spotted two people he recognized. "Little Fish, Logan, I believe you boys know Taylor."

"Hey," Pierce said. He was the one Amos called Little Fish. He was also one of the Stone Warrior Rangers. Logan was his older brother. He'd been brainwashed and programmed to be an assassin by the Eltarian Rebels, but he was himself now and had proven he was one of the good guys so much that Zordon had made him one of the members of the Ranger Guard.

"Ah... Speeding Cheetah has arrived," Amos said pleasantly. A minute later, a blur of yellow light sped into the house. When it stopped moving, Taylor saw Chelsea, the Yellow Stone Warrior Ranger.

"Sorry I'm late," Chelsea said.

"Are you sure your parents won't miss you?" Logan asked as he wrapped her in his arms.

"Positive," Chelsea said. "The dinner party's gigantic. They won't even notice I left, and even if they do, I don't care. Fuck the Country Club. I'd _much_ rather spend the day with you." Chelsea looked at Taylor. "Hey, Chosen Kid... To what do we owe the visit?"

"Home's chaotic... I didn't want to be stuck there," Taylor said. "By the way, Tommy's wife is back from the dead and, like, _extra_ evil. You guys might want to watch your backs. She killed two members of Operation Overdrive yesterday."

"He says this so casually," Chelsea said with a laugh. "You're jaded like a New Yorker... Makes me homesick."

"Should we call Vida and Chip?" Pierce asked. Vida was the official mentor for the Stone Warriors, although Chip and Sir Ivan had taken on mentor roles, too.

"Vida probably knows. That team was tight with Adam's team... I know Xander knows, so I assume he told Vida and Chip."

"Xander's sort of spacey sometimes... I think we should call just in case," Chelsea said.

"We'll call tomorrow," Pierce said. "Let them enjoy Thanksgiving if they don't know what happened."

"Wise words, Little Fish!" Amos said. "I promise, Katherine is no threat today. The Rebels are holding a celebration of their own."

"Wait... Seriously?" Taylor asked. "Bad guys celebrate Thanksgiving?"

"Zell finds Earth customs amusing, and the Rebels work very hard to blend in with all societies so they may hide in plain sight."

Taylor suddenly had a flash of Mora and Katherine sitting at the Kiddie Table while Zell gave a grand speech on all the things he was thankful for... _I wish to thank..._ Myself _... For power, minions, world domination, the Forces of Evil... Oooh, and this_ pie! _Be a dear and pass me a slice?_

Taylor shook his head at the visual. Amos looked amused, almost like he'd seen it, too. Taylor wondered if the very ancient immortal Shaman could read his mind. Maybe that was how he knew why Taylor needed to hide out there so desperately.

He began to relax as everyone settled down to eat. Amos told the story of the first Thanksgiving, and it wasn't what school or _Charlie Brown_ or any television show had taught Taylor. This story, although depressing, was _way_ more interesting, and it provided a welcome distraction from having to pretend the holiday was a happy one. He could live with this, because it matched what Taylor knew to be reality. Holidays didn't magically make all of your troubles go away. Sometimes, they made things worse.

Taylor felt a gentle hand touch his arm. "Are you okay, Taylor?" Pierce asked softly.

Taylor nodded. "Yeah... Just thinking too much," Taylor said.

"I get it. My family sucks, too. Don't worry. None of us are going to demand you pretend you're happy. We're all screwed up in the head... But I've learned that, sometimes, the family you _choose_ is the one that matters."

Taylor felt oddly comforted by Pierce. Then he remembered that he was a young Shaman, just like Sage. "Thanks," he said, knowing Pierce had done more than simply talk to him. Taylor felt a little better.

After that, Taylor stopped overthinking things. Just for that day, he knew he was safe.

 _ **MICKY**_

To say his current living situation was awkward was an understatement. Micky had settled into the big house and was even getting used to being there, but he still felt awkward around the residents. Jayden was polite but not exactly his new best friend. He tried not to take that personally, especially since it seemed he kept nearly everyone at a distance. He was friendlier toward his team, but even around them, he never seemed to fully drop his guard. Tommy... Or, his _dad_ , he guessed... Was trying too hard to be welcoming when it was clear he didn't know what the fuck to do with Micky.

Kira wasn't so bad. She was snarky, which Micky appreciated, and she had cheerfully dubbed herself "Auntie Kira" and promised to kick his father's butt if he got stupid. Dustin was the easiest to deal with. He was laid-back and casual at all times, and he treated Micky with both kindness and respect. He also kept finding ways to make Micky laugh, which really helped him relax.

Now, as Micky walked down the hallway, he hesitated outside of the one room no one seemed to acknowledge. His curiosity got the best of him. He reached toward the handle, feeling like something was calling to him from inside of the room.

"We don't go in there," Kira said, making him jump.

"Jesus Christ! What _are_ you, a ninja?" Micky demanded. He hadn't even sensed that she was there.

Kira laughed. "No, _Dustin's_ the ninja," she replied casually.

"What's the deal with this room?"

"It was Katie's. No one's really gone inside since... Well, anyway, the point is that it's off-limits."

"You guys keep a shrine to the girl who betrayed everyone and tried to kill at least one of the people who lives here?"

"It's not a shrine... At least not to that version of her. Doc O kept her room exactly the way it was for two reasons. One, to honor the kid she _used_ to be, before Zell and Katherine got in her head. Two, it's sort of like the room was quarantined. The evil is contained in there like you'd contain an infection. I mean, Sage cleansed the fuck out of the entire house, including that room, but that doesn't mean we're not a little superstitious. We'd rather be safe than sorry. So back away from the door, Kiddo. It needs to stay shut."

Micky shrugged and walked away from the room, but he could still feel something calling to him. He _had_ to get in there... But he'd wait until no one was around. He didn't want to upset them, but he also knew he had to trust his instincts. They were strong. In fact, trusting his instincts was the only thing that had kept him alive for this long.

Upon getting downstairs, Micky was surprised to see that the table was full of enough food to feed an army. "Happy Thanksgiving, Micky!" Dustin said cheerfully.

"Kim stopped by?" Kira guessed.

"Yep! She cooked for her household, then cooked for _our_ household since we all know Tommy can't cook, and then she apparently cooked a bit for Jason and the kids, too, since Jason burns water when he's left in the kitchen. Luke cooked most of their food, but Kimberly didn't want the kid to have to do all the work by himself."

"That woman never ceases to amaze me. You're in for a treat, Micky," Kira said. "Kimberly's cooking is amazing."

The doorbell rang. Micky decided to go answer it. He was greeted by Spike and Jayden's team, to his surprise. "Gobble gobble gobble!" Antonio said enthusiastically.

"We brought pie," Emily added.

"And I made a special surprise," Mia said with a huge smile.

Spike was staring at her with adoration. "I can't wait to try it," he said.

As they walked inside the house, Antonio put a gentle hand on Micky's arm. "Don't eat the stuff on the pink platter," he advised softly. "I love Mia, _really_ I do, but unless you want food poisoning, steer clear of her cooking."

Micky laughed. "Thanks for the head's up... Spike doesn't seem to mind it, though," he said.

"You know how people get blinded by love? Apparently, Spike's sense of _taste_ is malfunctioning, too."

They joined the others in the kitchen. "What's Bulk doing today?" Tommy asked Spike.

"Uncle Bulky's with his kids today," Spike replied. "He invited me along, but I wanted to be here... I hope that's okay?"

"Of course it is, Spike. You're _always_ welcome here."

Micky saw the look of surprise in Spike's eyes. The guy was obviously an outsider, since he wasn't a Ranger or even part of the Chosen, but it seemed like everyone had embraced him as part of the family anyway. Micky was standing off to the side wondering why that was when Dustin joined him.

"Everything okay, Micky?" Dustin asked.

"Yeah... I was just wondering how Spike fits in so easily, while I'm just... Failing at that," Micky admitted. "I mean, I'm a Power Ranger, right? Shouldn't I fit right in?"

"It's complicated, but Spike, his dad, Bulk, Lieutenant Stone, and Professor Phenomenus stepped up to help in the big battle even though none of them had ever been Power Rangers. They fought as bravely as any of us... And Spike watched his dad, Skull, get killed. Skull took an attack meant for Kimberly. He saved her life, but he lost his own. Skull and Spike were really close. He's like a clone of his father, and his mom hasn't been in the picture in years. She abandoned them both, and we don't know anything about her. I guess everyone felt like we had to step up and take care of Spike after his dad died, and Spike threw himself into training. He's actually gotten pretty decent, and even if he's not a Ranger, he is in his heart. That's what matters... But Micky, don't worry. People are already getting used to you being around, and we like you. You belong here."

"Tommy doesn't want me here. He's only keeping me around because he feels obligated to."

"Tommy doesn't know you, and he's scared to get attached... But he'll come around. I promise."

"People keep saying that."

"You'll see. Come on... Let's eat." Dustin led him back to the others.

It surprised Micky deeply when Emily offered him a sweet smile and sat beside him. She hadn't really said anything personal to him since he'd shown up in Angel Grove. "Happy Thanksgiving, Micky," she said kindly.

"Thanks, Emily... You, too," he replied cautiously.

"I'm sorry we haven't gotten a chance to talk much." She paused. "A few of us were pretty shocked by your arrival, but we're glad you're here, Micky. So let's get to know each other."

Micky had to admit, there was something so genuine about Emily, it warmed his heart a bit. "Sure... What do you want to know?" He asked.

"Anything you're comfortable sharing... You grew up with Liza, right? What was _that_ like?" She asked with a laugh.

"Never dull, _that's_ for sure," Micky said with a laugh of his own. "What's _your_ story?"

"Me?" Emily asked in surprise. "Oh, nothing special..."

"Your team trains from, like, _birth_ , right?"

"Well, _most_ of us do... Antonio made himself a Samurai, so he's different... And I only started training a little while before the team got together."

"Why?"

"Just like _you_ weren't originally meant to be the Mighty Morphin' Legacy White Ranger, I wasn't supposed to be the Yellow Samurai."

"You weren't? So what happened?"

"My older sister, Serena, was supposed to be the Yellow Samurai, but she got sick... _Really_ sick... And I had to pick up the legacy instead."

"Is she okay now?"

Emily looked a little sad as she said, "No. She's _always_ going to be sick... There's no cure. But she's a fighter. She's always been my hero."

"I'm sure she's really proud of you."

"She is... And I make sure to do my very best every single day to honor her, and to honor our family."

They continued talking and Micky realized he really liked Emily. Not only did she seem to be a genuinely sweet girl, but beneath the surface there was clearly an incredibly strong person. He respected her. He also appreciated that the more she talked to him, the less icy Jayden was toward him. It was like Emily melted his cold heart as she lit up and got excited about the most random things. By the end of dinner, Jayden was even cracking the occasional joke.

 _That girl is a miracle worker,_ Micky decided. He couldn't begin to tell her how much he appreciated the way she'd cut through the tension and helped everyone relax.

After everyone helped clean up and the people who didn't live there headed home, Micky found himself alone with Tommy. "So... Thanks for dinner," Micky said awkwardly.

"Thank Kimberly. I would have ordered take-out," Tommy said just as awkwardly.

"Listen, Tommy... Do you think we'll ever get past the crazy awkward stuff?"

"I really hope so... I'm sorry, Micky. I just don't know what to do with all of this."

"Neither do I... If you want, I can leave-"

"Absolutely not," Tommy said so firmly, it surprised Micky. Maybe he _did_ care after all. "No matter how complicated things are, you're my son, Micky... And I'm sorry I haven't been acting like a great father to you. I let my confusion, shock, and... _Issues..._ Get in the way of being the parent you deserve. If you can forgive me, I promise to try harder."

 _I'm not holding my breath,_ Micky thought. He'd never had a decent parent. Why should he expect one now? He shrugged and said, "Sure, Tommy. We can try to work this out."

"You can call me Dad if you want to."

"I'm not there yet." Micky had tried it a few times, but it just hadn't felt right.

"Okay. That's fair." Tommy got closer. He cautiously put a hand on Micky's shoulder. Micky initially jerked away, expecting to get attacked. "Micky..." Tommy sighed. "I won't hurt you," he promised.

"Sorry... It was a reflex," Micky said, feeling kind of guilty and embarrassed. Tommy was actually trying to be nice to him and he'd automatically assumed the worst.

"It's okay... I can tell you've been through a lot. If you want to talk about it, I'll listen."

Micky nodded. "Thanks," he said quickly. "I'm kind of wiped out... Mind if I go to bed?"

"Of course not. Get some rest," Tommy said, letting Micky hurry upstairs to his bedroom.

Micky closed the door and took several deep breaths. He'd been annoyed that Tommy wasn't being very welcoming, but now that he had finally tried, Micky had screwed it up. Tommy would probably never try that again. Micky sighed. _I'm such a freak,_ he thought. _Talk about sending Tommy mixed signals._

With a sigh, Micky got changed for bed. He covered his head with his pillow and tried to pretend nothing existed except his bedroom.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **CAIUS**_

It was never easy when something reminded him of those he'd lost. Still, it was a part of his existence that he'd grown accustomed to over the millennia. That day, however, Caius was confronted with something he hadn't expected. The girl staring at him was alive, but he had to double-check to be certain. That was because she looked very similar to Julia Chase, the wife he'd lost the day Caleb was born. The girl stared at him with fear in her eyes.

"Help me," she whispered. "Please..."

Caius saw no immediate threat, but he could sense one surrounding her. "Who are you?" Caius asked her as he got closer. He knew she was bait for some sort of trap, but he didn't care.

"Anita," she replied softly. "Please give him what he wants... Or he'll hurt me."

"Who is he?" Caius knew the answer deep down, but he had to be certain.

"He says his name is... Great Zell... And he wants you to watch..."

"Watch what?"

The girl pulled out a knife and before Caius could react, she slashed her own throat. "No!" Caius screamed. He pulled the girl into his arms, desperately trying to find a way to save her life, but the wound was too deep. As she died, he heard Zell's laugh in his mind.

 _You will never be able to save any of them,_ Zell said. _Your fate is to remain behind for eternity as everyone around you dies, be it at my hand or simply due to old age. You shall_ never _be happy, Caius... Unless you return to me._

"Never!" Caius shouted. He stared at the girl who looked far too much like Julia and tried in vain to revive her. "I am terribly sorry, Anita... He did this only to play mind games, and you did nothing to deserve such a fate..." He realized he was crying as he saw tears landing on her cheeks.

Anita suddenly stood beside him, even as Caius held her body in his arms. "Why?" She asked. "Why did you let this happen? Why didn't you stop him?" She was angry, and she touched Caius before he could defend himself.

Suddenly, Caius felt everything this girl had been through at Zell's hands. He'd abducted her. He'd tortured her. He'd broken her mind so he could control it, and he'd sent her to Caius with every intention of making her end her own life. He couldn't breathe as she held on to him tightly. She wasn't going to let go.

"Caius! Caius, _ground to me!"_ Someone was shouting.

 _Sage..._ Caius realized. Somehow, Sage was with him. He desperately tried to reach out for her, knowing it was the only thing that would save him now. _Sage... Sage, please... I... I can't breathe..._

"Spirit, Be Gone!" Sage shouted. An enormous amount of energy burst from her and forced Anita to release Caius. The girl vanished before his eyes. Sage grabbed onto him tightly and wouldn't let go. "Come on, Caius... Stay with me," Sage said urgently.

Slowly, Caius was able to focus. His breathing went back to normal. He looked at Sage with fresh tears in his eyes. "I couldn't save her..." He whispered.

"Shhh, Caius... It's over now," Sage said soothingly. She stroked his back gently.

"He did this because of me..." Caius whispered in horror. "Just to play some sick mind game, because she looked..." He shook his head.

"Caius... What is it? Why did he kill her?"

"She looked so much like her, Sage... For a moment, I thought it _was_ her..."

"Who?"

"Julia... Caleb's mother."

Sage looked stunned. "Oh, Caius..." She said sympathetically.

"What good is seeing the future if I cannot save someone who is innocent?" Caius asked, trembling as his emotions overwhelmed him. "Julia died because I dared to love her... And now, this girl... Anita... She died because he knew her resemblance to my wife would haunt me... She did _nothing_ to deserve this!"

"Caius... It isn't your fault. Neither was Julia's death. That Underworld God was a prick, and as for this... Zell lives for mind games. He would have killed an innocent regardless. That doesn't make it your fault." Sage gently wiped away his tears with her thumb. She wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so sorry, Caius... We'll make him pay for this... And I'll help her spirit heal."

Caius nodded, somehow composing himself. "Thank you, Sage." He kissed her hand.

Sage smiled at him sadly. "Go home, Caius. Take some time. I'll take care of her body."

Caius managed to stay calm as he stood up. He bowed his head respectfully before leaving, trying desperately not to get lost in his grief. He had to be strong. Zell was playing games, but there was probably more to it. He could not let this weaken his resolve. The children needed him. He held on to that as he headed home.

 _ **KARONE**_

The last thing she wanted to do was attend another Ranger funeral, but Ashley had been her brother's ex-girlfriend and former teammate. Karone needed to be there for Andros, and for Zhane, who'd cried when he thought no one was looking.

As Andros, Zhane, Karone, V, Zoey, Ella, and baby Leo reached the Command Center, it was clear things were worse than they'd expected. Tyzonn sat beside Mack, who was lying on a healing bed.

"Oh, shit... What happened?" Karone asked.

"Karone, you shouldn't curse in front of the baby," Andros scolded her gently. She rolled her eyes, tempted to kick him. Then, he added, "But yes, what happened to Mack?"

"Katherine," Mack answered weakly.

"He's almost fully healed," Tyzonn added.

"Why would Katherine attack you?" Karone asked. "I mean, she's got a ton of Rangers to choose from."

"She attacked the whole team," Tyzonn said sadly. "Rose and Will didn't make it."

Zhane's face fell. "You're the only two left?" He asked in horror.

 _It's starting again,_ Karone thought. She struggled to block out flashes of her husband blowing up in front of her. "We'll make her pay!" She declared. "I'm going to _destroy_ her!"

Tyzonn and Mack both looked startled. "Karone..." Andros began.

"What?!" She snapped.

Zoey pulled out her phone and snapped a picture. She showed it to Karone. Her hair was blood red and short, like it had been when she'd been under Dark Specter's mind control. "Damnit..." Karone said. "Sorry." She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Ever since she'd watched Leo die, she's struggled to keep from turning back into Astronema.

Baby Leo giggled in apparent amusement as Karone's hair turned blonde again. "Your kid's kind of demented, Karone," Zhane said with a laugh of his own.

Tyzonn awkwardly said, "We've decided to hold a small memorial service for them here... Their families are holding funerals for them, I'm sure, but they don't know they were Power Rangers."

"What is the plan for...?" Andros began.

"For Ashley?" V finished for him.

"Sage used a very powerful summoning spell to get Jodi's body away from the Alchemist. She was returned to her father, and he is laying her and Ashley to rest together," Zordon said as he entered the room.

"Zordon," Andros said, bowing his head respectfully.

"I am pleased to see you are all here, although I wish it were not under these circumstances," Zordon said sadly. "You may attend the funeral if you wish... It is tomorrow. Later on in the day, when we hold the memorial for Rose and Will, we shall also honor Ashley and her daughter."

"Of course. I intend to attend both," Andros said.

"How's Justin?" V asked. She'd spent time around Justin because she was brilliant and skilled with weapons, just as he was.

"Not well, I'm afraid. He hasn't come out of his home since he found Ashley," Zordon admitted. "I know he tried to put on a good show for Jared on Thanksgiving, but it's clear he is emotionally devastated."

"That poor guy can't catch a break," Zhane said, shaking his head.

"I know what it is like to watch your team die and be helpless to stop it," V said. "And I understand how his mind works. Perhaps, when he is ready, I can speak to him and try to help."

"V, you hated Ashley," Zhane argued.

"I may not have liked her, but I _do_ like Justin, and I don't like to see him hurting. I also know her loss hurt you and Andros, and I am sorry for your pain. I disliked her, Zhane, but I didn't wish this upon her."

"I know you care, Sis," he said quickly. "I'm sorry. This whole thing's just such _shit,_ you know?"

"Zhane, please stop cursing in front of the baby," Andros said automatically.

"He's about to go all _Captain America_ on you, Dad," Zoey joked. " ' _Language!'_ "

"Seriously, Andros, he's an infant," Zhane said. "He won't pick the fun words up for at least a few more months."

"You're horrible! If you teach my nephew to say bad words, I _swear_ , Zhane..." Andros warned him.

"He's got his mother and sister for that," Zhane joked.

"What? Gabriella does _not_ use that kind of language!"

Ella snorted, then put her hand on her uncle's shoulder and said mockingly, "Oh, Uncle Andros... Sweet, _naive_ Uncle Andros... You keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better."

Andros looked horrified. Karone laughed as V whacked Zhane. "Stop upsetting him," V scolded Zhane, but Karone could tell she was amused as well.

Things began to calm down as Zordon told them where they'd be staying for the night. Karone was relieved to be heading to a safe house Zordon had set up for visiting Rangers. She wasn't ready to go back to the hotel they'd taken over for the battle. That was the last place where Leo had been safe. Going back there without him after the battle had made it entirely too real, and that had broken part of her.

They got settled in and Karone set her son up in a crib beside her bed. "Goodnight, my sweet baby boy," she said gently. She kissed his head and tried to rest, but her stress was too high. They were back on Earth, and all hell was breaking loose. What if they ended up right back where they'd been? What if another slaughter was coming? Karone couldn't let that happen. No matter what, she would keep the people she loved safe this time.

 _ **ANGIE**_

She couldn't sleep. That happened pretty often, between nightmares and flashbacks. Angie's life might be pretty great now, but for a while, safety had been a foreign concept. She stood up and got dressed. She left the house, figuring she would go for a walk. That often led to her ending up at her mom's place or at Kenny's. Kimberly and Billy didn't mind Angie crashing with Kenny because they knew the two of them weren't the sort of kids who had sex or did drugs or got into any real trouble. Kenny made her feel safe when nothing else did, and Kimberly was like another mother to Angie. Her actual mom was great, and so was Tanya, but there was something about Kimberly that had made Angie get attached to her very quickly after they met.

She was nearly to Kenny's house when she felt eyes on her. Angie immediately reacted, pulling her magic around herself and getting ready for a fight. "Relax, Little Sorceress," a voice said mockingly.

"Katherine..." Angie said as she recognized her.

"In the flesh," Katherine replied with a slight laugh.

Angie could see her magic pouring out of her hands in spirals. "What the hell do you want?" She asked coldly.

"I was hoping you could reconnect me with your parents."

"Not a chance."

"Oh, come on, Angeline... Your mother kept me as a _pet._ I _will_ make her pay for that."

"I won't help you."

"So loyal... Such a good daughter... Not like _my_ little brat! She made me proud in the end, though." Katherine laughed again. Suddenly, she moved with impossible speed and grabbed Angie by her throat. "Call them here to rescue you, _Princess..._ Bring them to me!"

Angie released some of the magic she'd built up. It attacked Katherine, burning her hands and forcing her to release her. "I'd rather rescue _myself,"_ Angie replied firmly. She hit Katherine with a second attack.

"You little bitch! I _know_ what my father did to you, you pathetic little girl! I know you're not nearly as tough as you pretend to be, _Murderer!"_

Angie hadn't expected to have that thrown in her face. To her credit, she didn't give in to the bait. "Go back to Hell, Katherine," she said firmly. She began to raise more energy.

Katherine was preparing for an attack of her own. Suddenly, a massive rain storm seemed to hit, but the water only landed on Katherine. "Bad Kitty!" Angie's mother's voice said in a scolding tone.

Katherine let out a screech of protest as she ended up soaking wet. Angie felt herself being teleported away. A minute later, she found herself in her mother's bedroom. "Angie... Are you alright, sweetheart?" Her mother asked.

Angie was a little overwhelmed. She flung herself into her mother's arms. "I'm okay," she promised. "Just... Can you hold me for a couple of minutes?"

"Always, my sweet girl," her mother said soothingly. She might appear to only be a couple of years older than Angie, but her mother's energy was still deeply soothing like any mother's should be to their child. As her mother stroked her hair, Angie began to calm down. Her magic was no longer out of control.

"Tell me what happened," her mother said as she calmed down.

"Katherine's looking for you, Mom," Angie told her. "You and Dad, but I suspect you're her main focus."

"I expected that much… She's probably quite angry with me…" Her mother sighed. "She may be his daughter, but deep down, she's still just my evil little kitty cat… I won't let myself fear her."

"She's stronger now, Mom. I can feel her power levels."

"That's okay… We're all stronger now, too. After all, light is much stronger than darkness, and good is much stronger than evil. Whatever she's up to, we'll stand against her… And I know we can win."

"Do you really think so?"

"I do."

"You're scared, Mom… I can feel it."

"I am," she admitted. "But not of Katherine. Not really. It's just… I know he's going to come for us, Angie… And that _does_ frighten me."

"I won't let him hurt you, Mom. I swear."

Her mother smiled at her and shook her head. " _I_ am the one who is supposed to protect _you_ , my darling."

" _I'm_ Chosen."

" _I'm_ your _mother_." She kissed Angie's forehead. "How about this? We will protect each other, because we are even stronger together."

"That sounds like a good plan." Angie snuggled against her mother, feeling much safer in her arms, especially since they were both calmer.

"Do you want to stay here tonight?" Her mother asked.

Angie nodded. "Please," she replied. As much as she'd like to see Kenny, she needed to be with her mother now. She had to know that her mother was safe for the night.

"Come on. Let's get some rest," her mother said, guiding her to her bed. It wasn't the first time Angie had crawled into her mother's bed and stayed with her, but every single time she did, it was the most comforting feeling in the world.

"I love you, Mom," Angie said softly as she began to get tired.

"I love you, too, sweetheart," her mother said soothingly as Angie began to drift off to sleep beside her.

 _ **JOSH**_

He was unable to sleep as he poured over his notes again. His mother's journal had contained several passages that were most likely in Eltarian, and Josh had to understand why… His mother shouldn't have known Eltarian… Had she copied the messages down, or had she somehow learned the language? He had to understand. This puzzle was going to drive him insane if he didn't solve it soon.

Frustrated, Josh left his bedroom and sat on the porch, hoping for answers. He stared at the sky, wishing he was a child again. His father had once convinced him that a model rocket they'd built could deliver messages to his mother. Josh was too old and too logical to believe that sort of thing now, but he desperately wanted to. If he could just communicate with his mother, he might finally find some answers.

"Caleb could do it," he thought aloud. It wasn't fair to ask Caleb to contact his mother, especially since Caleb had no real control over what spirits he saw at any given point. There was no guarantee it would even work. Still, if there was even a chance…

"No," Josh said firmly. "It takes too much out of Caleb to work with spirits. It isn't right to ask him to try, especially since he is the kind of person who won't refuse if he thinks he can help." He sighed. What other choices did he have?

There were Eltarians on Earth, of course. He couldn't go to Zordon. He had too much on his plate as it was… That kid Greg, from Stone Hollow, might be an option, but Josh wasn't entirely sure how to get in touch with him. Sage would know, but did Josh really want to tell Sage what was going on? Josh trusted Sage with his life, but he didn't want to stress her out.

He was surprised when he sensed someone walking down the block. He was even more surprised to realize it was Nessa. Maybe the universe really _did_ help out sometimes. "Nessa?" Josh called softly.

Nessa looked up in surprise. "Josh? You startled me a bit," she admitted as she approached the porch.

"Sorry… What are you doing out so late?"

"I felt like going for a walk. Being beneath the night sky is comforting sometimes… What are _you_ doing out at this hour, _Minor_?" Nessa teased him.

"I'm on the porch. I'm not really _out…"_ Josh paused. "Nessa, I was wondering, since you're here…"

"Out with it, Josh. I'd like to answer the question before I turn ninety."

"Sorry… I found some passages that my dad thinks are in Eltarian… Could you possibly translate them for me?"

Nessa laughed. "There, was that so hard?" She asked. "Sure. Let me see them."

Josh handed her the passages he'd copied. She studied them and frowned. "Where did you find this, Josh?" She asked.

"Honestly? In one of my mother's journals… Which shouldn't be possible, because as far as we knew, they were all destroyed when our house was."

"I see… Was your mother Eltarian?"

"No… She was human… But according to Lady Eleanor, she died from an Eltarian disease."

Nessa looked at him sympathetically. "I'm sorry," she said. "And that makes sense… Because if your mother possessed all of this, they wouldn't want to leave her alive."

Josh's eyes went wide. "What is it, Nessa?" He asked.

"They're prophecies, Josh… Eltarian prophecies that tie in directly with the Rebellion."

"Prophecies? How would my mother have stumbled across Eltarian prophecies?"

"That _is_ the question… Unless she was a prophetess?"

"I… I don't _think_ so… She died when I was seven. I must admit, there is probably quite a lot I don't know about her."

"I think it's time you found out, Josh… Because however your mother got this information, it's here… And it's important."

"Can you tell me what they say?"

"Some of it, yes… But there are parts I do not recognize… It's as if they are… What's the phrase? Encoded."

"My mother wrote codes as part of her job… But why would she write something in code when it was already in a foreign dialect no one would easily be able to translate?"

"We need to crack the code, Josh… And I do not believe it will be easy. Will you let me show this to Mena? She's brilliant. If anyone can figure this out, it's probably her, especially if you're helping us."

Josh nodded slowly. "Okay. You can tell Mena. I don't want this getting around to too many people, though."

"Mena can keep a secret. She was the Prime Minister's daughter, Josh. She knew _all_ the secrets… The only one she might tell is Greg. He's highly intelligent, too, and when Mena can't figure things out on her own, she turns to him sometimes."

"I trust them. Mena is Zordon's cousin, and Greg comes through here often, so I've gotten to know him a little bit. Thank you for helping."

"Of course. Don't stress this too much, okay? You need to rest. You look exhausted."

"My mind won't turn off… When I find a puzzle, I can get a little bit obsessive until I solve it."

"Then obsess while you sleep. Trust me, Josh, you won't do anyone any good if you're falling on your face because you haven't been sleeping. Your mind will be sharper after some rest, too."

Josh nodded, knowing she was right. "I'll try," he said. "You can take these… They're copies, anyway. I still have the original."

"Alright. Take care of yourself, Josh. I promise I'll be in touch soon," Nessa said. With that, she took the copies and left.

Josh looked toward the sky. Although he was a man of science and wasn't sure if he believed in "Heaven" or any of that, he knew there was life after death. Growing up with Casey and Sage had proven that. He decided it was okay to say something and hope that his mother could hear him. "We're going to solve this, Mom," he said softly. "I promise." He took a deep breath and walked back into the house as his exhaustion finally hit him. He knew he needed to rest, and he was fairly certain he could do it now.

As Josh curled up in his bed, he swore he felt the gentlest touch on his forehead as he drifted off to sleep. It might have been his imagination, but it was still extremely comforting.


	4. Chapter 4

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _If you didn't read_ Stone Warriors, _you're about to get a crash course on what you missed that will affect this story. You'll also be meeting the rest of the team that wasn't introduced yet, and a few of the other Eltarians who will be coming into play. I'll do my best to recap what you need to know! Enjoy._

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

 _ **ZELL**_

He was lost in too many memories. He could see his Bella, who had bewitched him with her beauty. He'd needed to possess her almost as soon as he'd met her. Although the people of Eltar called her by her chosen name of Serafine, Zell insisted on calling her by a variant of her given name, Belladonna. It increased the intimacy between them, and besides, names had power. Calling her by her empowered name might give her too much strength, and he needed to control her.

For a time, he had. He'd approached her under the guise of wishing to mentor her. It wasn't a complete rouse... He _had_ wanted to mentor her. Zell discovered upon meeting Bella that he rather enjoyed adopting young sorceresses and molding them into whatever he pleased... Power houses he had in his back pocket, lovers, even vessels to bring forth his powerful offspring. A weak woman could not survive bearing his children, but with powerful enough magic, it was possible. He had seen that much in visions.

He'd taken Bella as his lover fairly quickly. Everyone had celebrated their relationship. Bella was powerful and a natural choice for the partner of Eltar's most powerful being. Although they had not been married, even Zell's brother treated Bella as family. _Don't,_ Zell told himself. He did not regret murdering the younger brother he had raised after ensuring their parents "died in their sleep," but he did regret that it had not accomplished his intended goal. Although he had come into much of his brother's power, he had been unable to fully wield the power. It was meant to be shared by two brothers, and the Universe muted some of it now that it belonged purely to Zell. He would never be able to fully unlock it, but now that two new keys had been born on Earth, Zell intended to control them and access the power that way.

His thoughts turned back to Bella, and to her brother, Ash. They were as close as twins, born exactly one year apart, and Zell had treated the boy as family. He had actually rather liked Ash. The boy was clever and fiercely loyal. If things had played out differently, he would have been pleased to have Ash at his side. Instead, Bella had become suspicious of Zell. She'd confided in her brother, and the two had discovered evidence that suggested Zell had murdered his brother, as well as several others. He'd had no choice but to put them down. Snuffing out Bella's life had seemed like a waste of such power, but it had been necessary when she dared to betray him. He'd murdered her in the most brutal, savage way he could, and he'd forced Ash to watch, casting a paralysis spell on him. After being unable to save Bella, Ash had stopped speaking. Zell had told everyone Ash murdered Bella and he'd sentenced him to death for treason.

It was at Bella's funeral that Zell first met Daphne. The child was barely ten, and she seemed so innocent and fragile, yet she defended her brother's innocence. That loyalty and courage had instantly drawn Zell to her. Since everyone else was ignoring her and trying to recover from the scandal of Ash killing his sister, Zell reached out to the sad child. He took her under his wing and was genuinely kind to her. Daphne was incredibly gentle and he sensed great power inside of her. For reasons he could not understand, he hated to see the girl sad. He'd sent part of himself away with her while the other part carried out Ash's sentence, protecting her from the trauma of watching him decapitate her beloved older brother. He'd taken care of her from that point on, training her in magic and ultimately taking her as his lover, first in secret because she was still young, then later in public. He was praised for his kindness in nurturing the girl, and people complimented him on his excellent choice of a companion.

Eventually, when she was still a teenager, Daphne became pregnant with the twins. Zordon had been everything Zell dreamed his heir would be. Anise, however, had traces of Bella's energy on her soul. He'd hidden her out of time and told Daphne she died. Daphne became so sad, it actually affected Zell. He saw how lonely she was with him away so often, so he made a vow he'd never expected to make, and he married her. This seemed to help bring her smile back slowly, and that was enough for Zell to decide he had made the right choice. As time wore on, he could not deny he felt differently for Daphne than he ever had for anyone else. He began to realize that he might actually be capable of loving her... And that sort of weakness could _not_ be allowed.

Murdering Daphne was the most difficult thing Zell ever had to do. He did it in front of their son, trapping him under the same spell he'd used on Ash. He'd killed her in a manner that was nearly identical to what he'd done to Bella, but this time, it was different. He felt the slightest bit of grief at her loss. He denied it even to Zordon when the boy finally remembered it had been his father and not a random monster who killed his mother, and he tried to deny it to himself, but it was the truth. And, damn it to hell, even after all this time, he missed her terribly. He missed all three of them on some level. They had been his. He wanted them back. He'd had them briefly, but they'd escaped from his clutches. He could not allow that to happen again.

"Father... Are you well?" Katherine asked, snapping Zell out of his thoughts.

"Yes, my daughter... And I have a task for you," Zell said.

Katherine brightened. "What is it?" She asked eagerly.

"I need you to retrieve my family for me."

"Your... _Family,_ Father?" She asked in confusion.

"The siblings, my dear... Bella, Ash, and..." He took a deep breath, exhaling as he said, "Daphne."

"Daphne... Your wife?"

"Yes. As I told you, my family has reincarnated, Katherine. I wish to have them at my side. You are to bring them to me alive, if at all possible... Especially Daphne. _Nothing_ must happen to Daphne. Do you understand?"

Katherine nodded solemnly. "I do, Father. I shall bring them to you."

"Excellent. Kill the others. The only reason they escaped from me is because the rest of their team came for them. However, if the young Shaman's brother joins him, you must flee. You cannot take them together without assistance. They possess far too much power. Kill the other girl and boy on the team, but try not to kill the Shaman. I believe he will be of use to me."

"Of course."

He smiled at her thoughtfully. "I know you are grown, my darling... However, a girl _always_ needs a mother. Daphne is a _wonderful_ mother. I think you will like her." It would be nice to be a family again. Somehow, he would make the siblings understand... They belonged to him. He needed to have them back, by any means necessary.

 _ **ANDROS**_

It had been impossibly difficult to sit through the funeral for Ashley and Jodi. Andros had held onto V's hand the entire time. Karone and Zhane stayed close together, keeping a respectful distance from Ashley's heartbroken husband.

Lieutenant Stone walked over to him. "Andros," he said kindly. "I was wondering if you'd make it today."

"Hello, Lieutenant Stone," Andros replied. "I felt like I should be here."

"Of course. I'm sure she would have appreciated it."

Another familiar face came toward them. "Andros! Welcome back," Bulk said, shaking his hand. He smiled at V and added, "Nice to see you again, too, V."

"I'm surprised to see you here, Bulk," Andros admitted.

"I knew Ashley back in the day," Bulk reminded him. "She was a nice girl. Besides… I feel horrible about what happened to her kid. It's just not right." Bulk might have been a bully in high school, but he had a genuine soft spot for kids, and Andros could see how much Jodi's death bothered him.

"Will you be attending the memorial later today?" V asked.

"Yeah… I can't believe we lost two more people," Bulk said sadly. "I thought that shit was over after the big battle."

"It seems the battle's not actually over," Karone said as she and Zhane joined them.

"Bulk!" Zhane said cheerfully. He gave him a hug. Zhane appreciated Bulk's goofy antics. He also remembered that when the Astro Rangers had thought all was lost and the bad guys were demanding that the Power Rangers reveal themselves, Bulk had been the very first person to step up and courageously tell them that _he_ was a Power Ranger in an effort to protect everyone. Bulk might have done a lot of questionable things in the past, but one thing was for sure… He had the heart of a true Power Ranger without ever having been given the powers. Andros respected that, and he knew how much Zhane did as well.

"Zhane! Karone! I'm glad you guys are here, too," Bulk said. He turned to Karone. "How's Little Leo?"

"He's doing great. I left him in his sister's care today. I didn't want either of them to have to sit through a funeral," Karone replied.

"Good call," Bulk said. "So, it looks like things are wrapping up here. Who wants to get lunch before the memorial? We can catch up."

"You had me at food!" Zhane said.

"I could use a bite," V admitted.

Andros wasn't hungry. He was too upset. Still, he knew the others were right. "Sure, Bulk," he said. "That would be nice."

"I know just the place," Lieutenant Stone said. He led the way.

"Wait… Did Justin come?" Andros asked, suddenly thinking they should invite him along if he had.

"He's still refusing to leave his house," Bulk said sadly. "They're working on it… But Adam, Tanya, and Tommy are here." He led them toward the other Rangers.

"Hey, Guys," Tommy said numbly.

"We were about to get some food," Bulk said. "Do you want to come with us?"

"I can't. I need to get back to check on the kids, but I'll be at the memorial later," Tanya promised. "Rain check?"

"Anytime," Bulk said pleasantly.

"I'll go. Food sounds great," Tommy said.

"Adam?" Zhane asked.

"Sure," Adam agreed. "I've got some time."

They headed off to get lunch, but Andros hung back. "I'll be there in a minute," he told V. She nodded, giving him his space. Andros approached the matching caskets. They were closed and would be lowered into the ground once everyone left the cemetery. Andros put a beautiful bouquet of white lilies on Jodi's casket. "You were too young… Too innocent. I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he said softly. Then, he turned toward Ashley's casket. "Oh, Ashley…" He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ash. I wish I could have protected you from this." He placed an assortment of yellow flowers on her casket, a tribute to her former status as a Yellow Ranger. He closed his eyes, blinking back tears for everything they'd lost in the last year, and took a deep breath before walking away to join the others.

 _ **KATHERINE**_

It was going to be an interesting day. Katherine teleported to Stone Hollow and waited, trying to come up with a plan that could not fail. This, more than anything else, was important to her father. Failure was unacceptable.

It came to her quickly enough... She needed to get to them one at a time. _Daphne first,_ she thought. The girl, Andie, was her team's healer. Because of this, she had a good chance of standing in Katherine's way. She couldn't kill her, so she'd need to knock her out quickly, hurting her just enough to be able to abduct her. Andie being hurt would most likely draw out Bella, or Serafine, or as she currently called herself, Darcy. Andie was Darcy's foster sister and they were as close as if they shared blood. If she got Darcy down, Greg would follow. He was Ash. Ash _always_ followed Serafine. Then, she'd just need to kill Chelsea, the one with super speed, and Scott. Chelsea was certainly going to be more difficult. Katherine would need to take her down quickly so she couldn't run away. Pierce, the Shaman, was to be avoided. Katherine hoped he wouldn't show up and foil her plans. Even a baby Shaman could be a serious threat.

Katherine found Andie's energy easily. She slipped into her head using the telepathy she'd recently discovered she possessed, which was harder than she'd expected. She still managed to figure out that Andie was heading toward the woods. Katherine felt out to make sure the Aviary, Lido, was not around before she stepped out from behind the trees. Andie jumped.

"Who are you?" Andie demanded. She was reaching into her pocket, probably so she could morph if necessary.

"Hello, Andie," Katherine said sweetly. "My name is Katherine. It's nice to meet you. I've heard _so_ much about you."

"From who?" Andie asked with much more of an edge than Katherine had expected. She was hardly the gentle girl her father had described. _She grew up in foster care,_ Katherine reminded herself. _She probably had to toughen up fast. Don't underestimate this one._

"From my father," Katherine replied. Then, she added, "I'm your step-daughter." That was when she attacked, kicking Andie hard in the side. Andie didn't go down immediately, much to Katherine's disappointment. Instead, she fought back, and when that wasn't enough, she grabbed one of the talismans she wore around her neck.

Katherine knew that whatever spell Andie was about to cast, she was in trouble. She did the only thing she could and used telekinesis to slam a rock into Andie's head from behind. Andie crumpled to the ground unconscious and Katherine hoped her father would forgive the excessive but necessary force.

Katherine didn't have to lure Darcy out. As expected, the girl showed up on her own. "Andie... Sis, where are you?" She called. She spotted Andie next to the rock and saw the blood. "Shit... She must have fallen," Darcy mumbled to herself. Katherine got the impression that Andie was a bit on the clumsy side from the way Darcy said that. "Andie, wake up... Come on, Sis..." She was checking Andie's pulse when Katherine emerged from the trees again. She knew Darcy was dangerous, and she debated just knocking her out with a rock, too, but Darcy noticed her.

" _Katherine,"_ she said.

"You know me?" Katherine asked.

"I'm the team leader. I know more than you think. What the hell did you do to my sister?"

"She'll live," Katherine said with a shrug. "My father wants it that way."

"Too bad _you_ won't," Darcy said. She proceeded to fling fire at Katherine's head.

Katherine barely dodged the attack. "This is going to be _fun,"_ Katherine decided. She hadn't had much practice using her magic in the real world yet, but her father and Felina had trained her thoroughly in the short time she'd been back. Her father would dip her out of the time line so no time really passed and she could train for a century in mere seconds. She was getting very good at things and wanted to use her powers on actual living targets.

Darcy proved to be a worthy opponent. She was powerful, not only in her Fire magic, but also in magic she was obviously remembering from her life as Serafine. As a hole opened up and nearly swallowed her, Katherine knew Greg had joined them. She jumped to safety and turned her attention toward the boy.

"Darcy!" Greg shouted. "What's going on?"

"Greg, run! Call the others! I'll hold her off!" Darcy replied.

Katherine teleported behind Greg, immediately running her sword through his chest. "Greg!" Darcy screamed, her grief clear as the boy fell dead at Katherine's feet.

 _I know he wanted them alive, but so what if one doesn't make it? Andie's the one he wants the most,_ Katherine reasoned. She was stunned as Darcy reacted quickly and attacked her with all that she possessed. She took two seconds to send a message to her team, and that was the opening Katherine needed.

She flung Darcy through the air with her telekinesis. Darcy hit a tree with a sickening thud. Her head was gushing blood and her side was cut open by a jagged branch. She was rapidly losing blood. She was also unconscious.

 _Oh, fuck,_ someone thought. With her mind open, Katherine heard it. Katherine looked up to see Chelsea. The girl immediately tried to run in a circle around Katherine, probably in the hopes of trapping her. Katherine had other plans. She watched as Chelsea continued to run, waiting until she was certain of the timing... Then, with one swift motion, she used her mind to fling a large tree branch at Chelsea's body and snapped the girl's leg in half.

Chelsea let out a scream of pain. She could no longer run but she also couldn't slow her momentum. She slammed into a boulder hard. She didn't hit her head, but she was definitely injured. "Scared yet, Little Girl?" Katherine taunted her.

"Bitch, I'm from _New York!"_ Chelsea spat at her. "I don't _get_ scared!"

"We'll see..." Katherine pulled out her sword once more. She raised it into the air. Chelsea was a sitting duck. She could do little more than curse at Katherine. Katherine was ready to kill the little brat when suddenly, lightning struck inches away from her. It happened again seconds later, and again... "He said your power was super speed!" Katherine cried out, barely dodging the attacks.

"It is, but my _Element_ is _Lightning,_ you dumb bitch! Next time, do your homework instead of reading the _Cliff Notes."_ Chelsea summoned more lightning. This time, Katherine's arm got singed.

"You little bitch!" Katherine screamed. She grabbed Chelsea by the head and bashed it hard against the boulder. It didn't knock her out, but it made her lose control. The lightning began striking randomly all over the woods.

"Chels!" A boy screamed as he arrived.

"Scott, run! It's a trap!" Chelsea shouted.

Katherine picked up her sword, ready to slaughter the little blonde brat and be done with her. "No!" Scott screamed. He rushed at Katherine using his element of Air as he tried to attack her. It was like being caught in a tornado, and her sword flew out of her hands.

"Scott, _go!_ I mean it!" Chelsea begged him.

"I'm not leaving you!" Scott argued.

"Loyalty is a _wonderful_ quality, Scott," Katherine said as she teleported behind him and grabbed him by both sides of his head. Realization appeared in Scott's eyes, and so did fear, but as his eyes shifted toward Chelsea, it was clear he made peace with his choice. The fear vanished, replaced with acceptance and a hint of defiance. Enraged that he'd been afraid for too short a time, Katherine twisted his head sharply, snapping his neck.

Chelsea began screaming for her dead friend then, which was much more satisfying. "Bitch! You fucking _bitch,_ I'll _kill_ you!" Chelsea shouted.

"Go ahead and try, sweetheart," Katherine mocked her. "You can't fight back." She retrieved her sword and raised it into the air once more, ready to take Chelsea's head off.

Suddenly, something in the air changed. A powerful entity had just arrived, and whoever it was, he wasn't playing around. "Get the _fuck_ away from her!" He shouted.

"Pierce!" Chelsea shouted. "Pierce, the bitch broke my leg! And Scott's... She... She killed... Everyone's down," she finally managed to say.

"Just hang on, Chelsea," Pierce said. The power pouring out of him was impressive, but it was nothing compared to what came next... A similar power arrived, and suddenly, Katherine knew what her father had been trying to warn her about. She regrouped as Pierce's brother raced toward them.

 _ **LOGAN**_

Logan had seen death before. In fact, during his time as the Rebellion's top assassin, he'd _caused_ death... A _lot_ of it. Never before had he seen something that scared him as much as this did, however.

Andie was bleeding a bit but seemed to be breathing steadily. Darcy looked like she could bleed to death any minute. Greg was too motionless, and Logan knew he was gone. He could tell from Scott's blank gaze that he was dead, too. Chelsea was still trying to fight, but her leg was clearly broken and she had several other injuries including one to her head. Pierce was the only one standing and trying to hold off the woman before them. _It's her,_ Logan realized. _Zell's daughter has come for us._

He locked eyes with his brother. _Get Chelsea out,_ Pierce thought at him. Logan nodded, knowing it was their only option. He knelt beside Chelsea and scooped her into his arms carefully.

"Logan..." She whispered.

"It's okay," Logan promised her. "I'm going to get you out of here to safety." He stood back up and began carrying her away from the immediate threat.

"Logan, no! I can fight... Just patch me up, splint my leg... I can still use a weapon."

"Chels, you're hurt... _Really_ hurt. I have to get you out of here."

"Scott's dead, _isn't_ he?"

"Yes..."

"And the others?"

"Greg's dead. Darcy's in bad shape. Andie's hurt, but I don't think it's fatal, at least not yet. She can't fight, though. She's unconscious."

"Call Ivan... He can... He can help. And... And your team, and Lady Eleanor... But... But if Greg's..." Chelsea shook her head, then groaned because it obviously hurt.

"I think you're concussed, Chelsea. Just let me get you to safety, okay?" Logan hurried toward their only hope. "This is an illegal portal, Chelsea. It goes straight to New York. Raff and Captain Smith were the only ones with open access to it, and no one's used it since..." He stopped short of saying since Raffitty had died. Killing Raff still haunted him, but he'd had no choice. If he hadn't done it, Zell would have used Raffitty as a constant source of energy, draining him over and over and growing stronger every time he did. "Anyway, I know how to activate it in an emergency... Raff granted me access." Logan explained. He pulled out a blade and cut his hand. He pressed the blood against a tree and the portal sprang to life.

"Whoa... Neat party trick," Chelsea said. "Let's go."

"It's just you for now, Chelsea."

"What? No!"

"I have to help my brother... And if there's any chance of saving Darcy and Andie, we have to try."

"No... No, Logan! Let me help!"

"Listen to me, _Jesse Quick..._ I _need_ to do this, but I can't help Pierce if I'm worried about you. I can't lose you, okay? So I need you to be brave, like you always are. Go through the portal. Find Captain Smith. He'll help you. I promise he will."

"Logan..." She sighed, touching his face and looking into his eyes. "Don't you _dare_ fucking die on me, _Wolverine,_ or I'll find you in the Afterlife just to kick your ass."

"I love you, _Jesse Quick,"_ he replied softly.

"I love you, too..."

Logan nodded. As the portal began to become a bit unstable, he knew they were out of time. "Find the Rebels, Chelsea. I love you!" He kissed her before shoving her through the portal. Instantly, an invisible force began choking him. Logan was coughing up blood as Chelsea screamed his name and tried to reach for him. Seconds before she could, the portal closed.

Logan struggled to stand. He managed to limp to Pierce's side. It was only once he took his brother's hand that Katherine began to look truly frightened. Logan immediately began to heal, and the strange magic that always happened when his energy touched his brother's began to dance around them.

Katherine rushed toward the girls. It was clear she was struggling to figure out how to take them both, but she couldn't in the state they were in. "Red's nearly dead anyway," she said aloud. She picked Darcy up and threw her toward the brothers before grabbing Andie and carrying her as she tried to flee.

"Darcy!" Pierce cried. He managed to grab her before she could be hurt any worse than she already was. He set her down gently and followed Logan, who was trying to get to Andie and Katherine. Soon, however, Logan realized they had help.

"Unhand her this instant!" Ivan cried.

"Sir Ivan..." Katherine said. "I should have expected that. Sorry, but I have plans for your beloved Andie."

"You will not take her _anywhere,"_ Ivan said fiercely. He drew his sword, ready for a proper battle. "Release her or prepare for battle!"

"Nice try, but I don't take orders from knights in shining armor anymore. I'm not _Kimberly."_

"Then take orders from _me,_ you wretched abomination!" A voice said. No one ever crossed that voice and lived to tell the tale.

 _Thank God,_ Logan thought. Lady Eleanor, his team's mentor and the fiercest warrior Eltar had ever seen, had arrived.

Katherine cursed and dropped Andie at Ivan's feet as she teleported away. "M'Lady... M'Lady, wake up... Please..." Ivan said with an edge of desperation as he held her in his arms. Andie slowly began to stir.

"Ivan..." She groaned.

"I am here, M'Lady! Stay with me..."

Pierce exhaled as he saw that Andie seemed to be somewhat okay. He then ran straight to Darcy. Logan watched as his brother held his girlfriend in his arms and tried to heal her. Darcy's eyes fluttered open.

"Pierce?" She asked in confusion. Then, it seemed that she remembered what had happened. "Andie and Greg... Where are they?" She demanded.

"Ivan's got Andie. She's okay," Pierce promised.

"Greg... She... I saw her use her sword to..." Darcy shook her head. "Is he okay?"

Pierce sighed. "Darce... I'm so sorry..."

"No! No, he can't be... No..." She stood up, probably to try to go to Greg, but then she saw Scott. Darcy covered her mouth in horror and fell back onto her knees. She started to cry. Scott had been Darcy's best friend since they were very young. He'd moved away, but once he moved back they'd reconnected like no time had passed. Her grief was clear.

Andie seemed to realize Darcy needed her. She refused to look at Greg or Scott as she limped toward Darcy. She laid down on the grass and rested her head in Darcy's lap, crying silently. Darcy began stroking Andie's hair automatically. She stared straight ahead, clearly trying to fight back her tears and take charge again.

Ivan stayed close to the girls while Lady Eleanor knelt beside Greg. She pulled him close to her, rocking him as though he were still a baby, and said in a soft but very serious tone, "You shall be avenged, my sweet, sweet Gregory..." The only other time Logan had seen her look so devastated was when her husband Sir Matthew had died. Even that had not stopped her from fighting for all that was Good. Logan knew this wouldn't either.

"No." Pierce said the word firmly. Logan turned toward his brother, who was staring at Darcy as she grieved so deeply.

"What?" Logan asked.

"No. This isn't how this day ends."

"Pierce-"

"I'm going after them. I'm going to bring them back."

"Pierce, they're dead."

"And I'm a Shaman, and they need me!"

"It's too dangerous-"

"It's _Scott and Greg_ , Logan! I don't care about the risk. This is _not_ how this ends. So, either help me and make the odds better for me, or I'm doing it on my own."

Logan sighed. He knew Pierce would kill himself trying to save them on his own. "Okay," he said. "I'll anchor you. Be careful, Pierce. This is bigger than anything you've ever tried to do before."

Pierce nodded. He knelt beside Darcy and Andie. "I'm going to fix this, Guys... I promise." He kissed Darcy's head before moving away from them.

"Pierce... What are you going to do?" Darcy asked.

"Don't worry about that." Before she could stop him, he grabbed Logan's hand and Logan felt his brother's soul slip out of his body.

 _Be safe,_ he silently begged.

 _ **PIERCE**_

The Underworld was a pretty terrifying place. It was easy to get lost, but Pierce had the distinct impression that he had been there before. _I have,_ he realized. _While I was unconscious after the accident._ When he was ten and Logan was sixteen, they'd been caught in a freak storm. It turned out Felina had caused the storm so Raffitty could capture Logan, who'd been Frankie at the time, and turn him into Neptune, the Rebellion's brainwashed human assassin, but at the time, everyone believed Frankie had drowned. Pierce had nearly drowned, too, but Amos had fished him out of the water and saved his life. Pierce didn't remember much about his Shaman's Journey, but he realized now that his soul had ended up in the Underworld. He had a feeling it wasn't a good thing he was back.

"I know why you're here, Pierce," a woman said.

Pierce turned toward the sound and saw a beautiful Native American woman looking back at him with sympathetic eyes. She looked familiar. "Who are you?" He asked cautiously.

"I'm Casey Park."

It clicked then. "You're Sage's mother," he realized aloud. Sage bore a striking resemblance to Casey. Pierce also remembered that Sage had told him her mother ruled over the Underworld now.

"I am... And you're a friend of hers." Casey paused. "You were right to come here, my dear boy... However, I must warn you that you may only save one of your friends."

"But-"

Casey put up a hand to quiet him, still looking sympathetic. "I know you wish to save them both, however, it would take far too much power, and it would throw off the balance. I cannot allow it. One soul can be released, but not two. You may choose, of course… However, it _should_ be Greg, for balance purposes. His connection to Zell and the fact that he was Ash makes him vital to this battle. Without Greg, Darcy and Andie will be incomplete and will not be able to face Zell successfully. The three of them are a unit, and he has already proven that broken, they cannot stop him."

"I get that Greg's important, but are you trying to tell me that Scott _isn't?"_

"Not at all. Every life is sacred, especially those of Power Rangers, but Scott does not affect the balance the way Greg does. The battle can be fought without Scott. Without Greg, I fear you are all doomed."

"That's bullshit! Scott is _just_ as important as Greg! I don't care about what the _balance_ demands. Scott's a good guy, and if we hadn't had him the last time we faced Zell, we'd be dead. He saved us and nearly killed himself to do it. I'm not turning my back on him just because the so-called balance demands it."

"You may save Scott, Pierce... I will welcome Greg with open arms. Like Scott, he has fought bravely."

"I'm going to save them _both."_

"I'm sorry, Pierce. You simply cannot do that. It will destroy you. It is suicide. You would not survive it, and I cannot allow you to try."

"With all due respect, Casey... Screw that." Pierce felt slightly guilty for speaking to Sage's mother like that, but he refused to give up on his friends. If saving them cost him his life, then so be it, but he was willing to fight for them even if Casey was not. He ran deeper into the Underworld.

He heard Casey's voice, which sounded both deeply sad and mildly amused at the same time. "I had nearly forgotten how stubborn a teenage Shaman could be... Good luck, Pierce. I wish I could do more, but I cannot help you," she said before her energy faded away.

It didn't take long to find Scott. "Thank God..." Pierce mumbled. "Hey, Asshole."

Scott turned toward him in surprise. "Pierce? Oh no... Are you dead, too?" Scott asked in horror.

"Not yet. Come on. I'm sending you home."

"What? But... I'm _dead,_ Pierce. I know I am. I saved Chelsea... At least, I _hope_ I did."

"Chelsea's safe... Logan got her out. I don't know where he sent her, but she got away. Come on, you're going back."

"How are you here if you're not dead?"

"I'm a fucking _Shaman,_ Dumbass. This is what we _do."_ He took Scott's hand. After a second, he was hit with all of Scott's emotions. He sighed and hugged him. He began healing his soul, which he knew would ultimately heal his body if he kept going. He didn't let Scott go as he poured energy into him, willing his body to recover. "You still have work to do, Scott. Darcy needs you. The _team_ needs you. And I don't care what anyone says, I'm not leaving you here."

Scott nodded. "Let's go," he said.

Pierce helped Scott find his way back toward the entrance to the Underworld. He knew it was open. "Go on," he said.

"What about you?"

"I'm going back for Greg."

Scott nodded. "Okay... Bring him back to us, Pierce. And be careful."

"I'll be fine. Take care of Darcy for me. She was pretty upset when she realized your dumbass got killed." He gently pushed Scott through, knowing he'd land back inside of his body and wake back up. He'd healed his wounds fully.

After he felt Scott resurrect, Pierce went back into the Underworld to search for Greg.

 _ **SCOTT**_

He inhaled sharply as he slammed into his own body. "Holy shit!" He managed to say. He examined himself for injuries.

"Scott?" Darcy cried in surprise. Andie sat up and stared at him. She didn't move. She seemed to be in an actual state of shock. Darcy, however, ran toward him.

"I'm okay," he promised. "Pierce saved me. He went back for Greg."

Darcy smacked his chest. "If you _ever_ die on me again, I'll fucking _kill_ you!" She told him.

"I love you, too, Darce," Scott said with a laugh.

"Welcome back, my Good Sir!" Ivan said, shaking Scott's hand. He looked incredibly relieved. He then moved back toward Andie and pulled her into his arms. Scott realized she still hadn't said a word.

"You are alive," a voice said. Scott spotted Amos. "Such happy news! But where is my Little Fish?"

"He went back for Greg," Scott replied.

"Oh, no... No, no, Little Fish..." He sighed. "But of course he did. He would not be my Little Fish if he hadn't..."

"Amos, what's wrong?" Darcy asked in concern.

"Not even the strongest Shaman can easily resurrect two souls in one day. It wears the body down. Pierce might survive two ordinary resurrections because he is so powerful, but to save Greg, who is half Eltarian... Doing this on his own will kill him. He needs help immediately." He pulled out his phone.

 _ **SAGE**_

She could feel that something was very wrong. When her phone rang, she saw it was Amos and knew she was right. "What's going on?" She answered.

"Sage... You must come to Stone Hollow immediately. Bring your son," Amos said.

"Amos, what happened?"

"Katherine attacked the Stone Warriors."

"Oh Gods... How bad?"

"Chelsea is hurt and her leg's broken. Logan sent her through a portal that hopefully worked. Darcy and Andie were seriously wounded. Pierce healed Darcy, whose injuries were nearly fatal, and I just healed Andie. She seems to be in shock, but she's physically fine. Katherine tried to abduct her, but Ivan and Lady Eleanor stopped her and she ran. Greg and Scott were both killed. Pierce went after Scott and we've got him back, but he's gone after Greg now."

"Amos... He can't."

"I know that. _You_ know that. And by now, there is a good chance that _he_ knows that, but he's trying it anyway."

Sage understood Pierce's reaction. She'd done the exact same thing when Katherine killed Caleb and Rocky. That journey had nearly killed her. It had taken her two weeks that felt like two decades to find her way back home, and she'd become a full Shaman after passing that test. Pierce, unlike Sage, was already a full Shaman at the start of this journey, but considering he had blocked out his test because he couldn't handle the trauma of that coupled with his grief over losing his brother, Sage knew how much danger he was in. "We're coming. We'll get him back, Amos. I promise," she said. She hung up and ducked her head into the living room.

Koda sat with Zedd on the couch. They were both trying to make sense of whatever was on the television. Sage realized it was in Spanish. Koda barely spoke English, let alone Spanish, but he seemed to be pretty caught up in it. Zedd actually spoke all of the "Romance" languages fluently, so Sage knew he understood what they were watching.

"No, Maria! Diego no good! He sleep with Marisol! You better than that!" Koda yelled at the television.

"Zedd, _what_ do you have him watching?" Sage demanded.

"Actually, Koda watches this every day. It's his favorite," Zedd said casually.

" _No-vel-la_ very good," Koda said slowly before turning back to the television as the music got more dramatic. "What she say, Zedd?"

"It would seem that Maria is pregnant. With twins," Zedd translated.

"No!" Koda said in shock.

Sage couldn't help but laugh before she remembered how serious things were. "Have either of you seen my son?" She asked.

"Troy with Nessa," Koda provided, still not looking away from the television.

"Is everything alright, Sage?" Zedd asked.

"No. I'm probably going to miss the memorial later, by the way… I have to go somewhere. My bitch of an aunt is killing Rangers again... _Baby_ Rangers this time."

"Preston team?" Koda asked with alarm. Koda was protective of Preston because he reminded him of the little brother he'd left behind. As a result, he was also protective of the entire Ninja Steel team.

"No, not them. It's the Stone Warriors," Sage said.

Zedd stiffened. "Does Zordon know?" He asked. Considering Greg and Darcy were the reincarnations of Zordon's uncle and aunt and Andie had been his mother, Sage knew how much the safety of that team meant to him, and so did Zedd.

"I'm not sure, but I didn't tell him... Greg was one of the ones killed. Scott went down, too, but Pierce resurrected him. He went after Greg and neither of them have come back yet."

"How can I help?"

"I need energy, Zedd. Possibly a lot of it. We may have to go in after Pierce."

"Let's go get Troy." They left Koda to his _stories_ and hurried to Nessa's.

Nessa answered the door smiling, but as soon as she saw Sage and Zedd's faces, she turned serious. "What happened?" She asked.

"Nessa... There's trouble in Stone Hollow. I need Troy," Sage said.

"Mom? What's going on?" Troy asked.

"My aunt attacked the Stone Warriors. The girls were all hurt pretty badly. Darcy and Andie are okay. Logan sent Chelsea through a portal to try to protect her. Scott was killed, but Pierce brought him back. The thing is..." She hesitated.

"Is he stuck?" Troy guessed.

"He's still looking for someone else..." Sage sighed as realization dawned on Nessa's face.

"Not Greg?" She asked in horror.

"I'm sorry, Nessa. I know how close you two are."

"Pierce can resurrect the dead?"

"As a Shaman, yes, sometimes... But Greg won't be easy to resurrect, and since Pierce already saved Scott... It could kill him."

"Let's go." Nessa stepped outside, ready to lock the door.

"Nessa, we need Troy because he's a Shaman, but you don't have to do this."

"Like hell! Van's boyfriend just got resurrected, and Mena doesn't even know that _her_ boyfriend is dead. Greg is my friend and our mentor's last relative. Lady Eleanor already lost her husband. She needs me. Besides, Pierce is Logan's baby brother, and Freddy and Allie are close to Scott and Chelsea. All of this chaos means my team's in chaos, too. I'm coming."

"She's right, Mom. Her team needs her," Troy said.

Sage nodded. "Come on. We'll teleport. Hold on to me."

Seconds later, they were in Stone Hollow. The scene that greeted them was hard to take in. Scott and Darcy were holding each other. Andie was in Ivan's arms, staring off into space. Ivan nodded at Sage and said, "Lady Sage... It is good to see you."

"Hi, Ivan," she greeted him.

"My good Sir Zedd. Lady Nessa. Sir Troy." He nodded at all of them. It had taken Ivan a while to drop "Lord" from Zedd's name, but out of respect for his new path of light, Ivan always used "Good Sir" in its place.

Sage spotted Greg's body beside Lady Eleanor. She stood guard over him, sword at the ready, prepared for any threat which dared to show itself. "Lady Eleanor..." Sage said gently.

Lady Eleanor turned toward her. The fierce rage in her eyes hid her pain well, but Sage was too strong of a Shaman not to sense it. "Hello, Sage," she said coldly. Sage didn't take offense. This woman was the toughest entity she'd ever met, and she knew that, right now, she needed to turn cold to keep from losing her will to fight.

"Let us see him. We may be able to help."

Lady Eleanor took a deep breath and allowed Sage and the others to examine Greg. His wound was severe, but his body wouldn't be impossible to heal. Finding his soul and healing that enough to bring him back was the tricky part.

"Zedd... Can you heal his injuries?" Sage asked.

"Even I have my limits, I'm afraid," Zedd said sadly. "I can only heal what lives. My powers come from being able to manipulate a person's life force. I'm sorry, Sage."

"It's okay... We'll find him and heal him using his soul... I was just hoping we could focus on Pierce. This won't be easy."

"You believe it can be done?" Lady Eleanor asked.

"I do. We'll find a way," Sage promised. Lady Eleanor nodded stoically, looking more determined than ever.

"Sage..." Amos said gravely.

Sage left the others with Greg's body as she joined Amos by Pierce and Logan. "I'm anchoring him, but he's slipping away, Sage... I can feel it..." Logan said, his fear clear.

"We'll get him back, Logan," Sage said. "Just don't let go of his hand, no matter what happens."

"I won't," Logan promised.

"What's the plan, Mom?" Troy asked, joining her. Zedd stood with him. Nessa stayed by Greg and Lady Eleanor.

"We're going in after him," Sage replied. She tried not to worry about that too much. "And we may be paying a visit to my mother." That part scared Sage even more than the idea of being back in the Underworld did. It was hard to see her mother. She missed her so much. Nothing would ever fill that void, but none of that mattered now. Her friend was in danger. She had to help. She began figuring out what they would need to do to follow Pierce.

 _ **CAPTAIN SMITH**_

It was certainly alarming when B'Danna came running into the main room of the penthouse. She looked paler than usual. "Captain, we've got portal activity," she told him.

"Which portal, my dear?" Captain Smith asked calmly, uncertain why she would be so alarmed by that.

"Central Park, Sir," his lieutenant, Kizzie, said as she appeared behind B'Danna. " _East."_

Captain Smith tensed. "East? That's not possible..." He said.

"I confirmed it myself. The portal is active."

"That portal hasn't been active since Raff..." He shook his head. "Go get Tedius. We must look into this." He stood at the elevator, waiting for Tedius, the last member of their chapter, to arrive. When he did, they hurried to the portal. What they discovered was the last thing he'd expected.

Chelsea was a bloody, crumpled, broken mess. She was on the grass, and she looked up at him with recognition. " 'Sup, Bobby?" she asked before collapsing into unconsciousness.

"Tedi, tend to her wounds!" Captain Smith commanded. He immediately searched for any sign of a threat. Satisfied that there was not one present, he looked to Kizzie. "Reach out to Lido. See if you can find out what is happening in Stone Hollow." He had a terrible feeling...

"Straight away, Sir," Kizzie said. She walked a few feet away to cast a spell that would send a message via birds.

"Captain Smith... If the girl is here..." B'Danna began.

"I fear Logan's safety is in question," Captain Smith replied. "He would not send her here alone unless things were dire."

After several minutes, Kizzie returned. Tedius looked exhausted as Chelsea regained consciousness. "She is quite concussed, but her leg is fully repaired and I have healed her head as much as I can for now," Tedius said. He leaned on a tree for support.

"Take him home, B'Danna," Captain Smith instructed. "Kizzie and I shall follow soon."

"Of course, Captain," B'Danna replied. She helped Tedius walk away.

"Chelsea, my dear... What has happened?" Captain Smith asked. "Where is Logan?"

Chelsea began to ramble. "He made me leave... And she attacked him as the portal closed... He made me leave!" She said, her voice taking on a panicked tone. Her concussion was clear from her repetition, as was her apparent state of shock.

"Who attacked him?" Captain Smith asked patiently.

"Zell's bitch of a daughter!"

"Daughter? I assume you do not mean the current Prime Minister of Eltar."

"No, the other one, Katherine. She's back from the dead and more evil than ever."

"I wasn't aware Zell had another daughter."

"Yeah. And she's unlike anything we've faced before... She broke my leg. I couldn't run, so I tried using lightning, and she hit my head against something... That part's blurry... But Logan made me leave, Bobby! He made me leave, and I think... I think my entire team is dead!" She sounded hysterical now. She began sobbing against his chest. Her entire body was trembling. Captain Smith held her gently, trying to soothe her. He had only met Chelsea once, but the girl seemed pretty fearless. She was the only person who'd ever dared to call him "Bobby," a fact that he found both amusing and endearing. He suspected it was highly unlike her to break down and cry. Chelsea was the epitome of a jaded New Yorker. Nothing ever got under her skin. It seemed that this was the one thing which had.

"Shhh, dear Chelsea... You are safe now," he said soothingly.

"Greg's dead... And... And Scott. Scott died to protect me... He's dead... And Darcy looked really bad, and Andie was unconscious, and... And Pierce was trying to hold her off so Logan could get me out of there... He made me leave... And they're dead. They're all dead... _This_ is why I keep everyone at a distance and try not to care. This is why I didn't let them know who I was when we first got our powers. If you don't let people in, it doesn't hurt when they're gone... But this? This fucking _hurts,_ Bobby... It hurts so bad... They can't be gone... But they are. At least two of them... Probably all of them... And he _made me leave..."_ She buried her face in his chest again.

"Do not lose hope, Chelsea," he said gently. "There is still a chance..." He wondered if that were true. It didn't matter. She needed something to hold on to. Captain Smith had seen this sort of thing before. He'd fought in countless wars over the millennia. He'd watched people lose everything and everyone. He knew the ways it could destroy a person. He could not let that happen to Chelsea.

"I offer you sanctuary in my city, Chelsea," he said. "You have our full protection, and you may stay with us for as long as you need. You will always be welcome here."

Chelsea looked surprised. Her tears still fell, but her tone of voice was strong. "Why? I'm not Eltarian, and you barely know me."

"You are a good soul, and you are in need. You would not be the first stray I took in, Chelsea. That, along with the fact that you are very precious to Logan, means I am more than willing to help you. Please come back to our base with us. I will inform you the moment I gain any knowledge of the situation in Stone Hollow."

Chelsea nodded slowly. They headed back to the Penthouse. Once upstairs, Captain Smith helped Chelsea sit down on the couch. Kizzie immediately rushed off to brew some tea. When she returned, she offered it to Chelsea. "Here you go, Luv," she said gently. "Drink up. It will soothe your nerves."

The street smart New Yorker did not even attempt to protest the offer, which only served to prove she was as bad as Captain Smith suspected. Chelsea sipped the tea in silence, and eventually, she stopped shaking. A few minutes after she finished the tea, Chelsea fell into a deep sleep. Captain Smith knew it would be peaceful and help her regain her strength. Kizzie's brew was powerful.

"Has there been any word?" Captain Smith asked.

"No, Sir… B'Danna has been trying to reach out, but thus far, there have been no answers," Kizzie replied sadly. "Do you believe Neptune… Or _Logan_ , rather… Survived?"

"I hope so, Kizzie. Logan is our family. It does not matter what side he fights for… As far as I am concerned, that boy is Raff's son, and that means we must always protect him." Raffitty had made a lot of mistakes toward the end of his life. Captain Smith knew that his oldest friend had fallen down a terrible path and there had been no way to save him. He'd tried… He'd tried with everything he possessed… But once Raff had agreed to work with Zell, he'd known he was going to lose him. Sure, Raff had technically done horrible things to the boy he'd called Neptune, but Captain Smith saw what lay beyond that. What started as an attempt to prevent a prophecy had ended with Raff coming to care deeply for the boy who was not so different from him. Raff had been severely abused as a child. He'd gone through hell at the hands of his father, and later at the hands of the powerful men his father called friends. When Raffitty dared to fight back, his father had thrown him in prison, and that was where he went from a terrified little boy to a solider of the Rebellion. He'd turned into what some would call a monster, but he had finally been granted a safety he had never known before. Neptune had faced a lifetime of abuse before losing all of his memories in the "accident." Raffitty had nursed the boy back to health himself, and he'd seen something familiar in his eyes. He'd turned the boy into one of the finest soldiers the Rebellion had ever seen, and raised him as if he were his own. As horrible as his intentions had been, Captain Smith genuinely believed that Raff had come to love that boy. Since Chelsea meant so much to Logan, Captain Smith knew he must protect her with all that he possessed.

"Sleep, dear girl," Captain Smith said soothingly as he covered Chelsea with a blanket. "You will need your strength soon enough."

 _ **PIERCE**_

He found Greg sitting beneath what looked like a night sky, but it wasn't Earth's. "Where are we?" Pierce asked aloud.

Greg jumped. "Pierce?" He asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I came after you, Greg," Pierce said. "What is this place?"

"From what I've deduced, it is whatever I want it to be… And currently, it seems to be a peaceful Eltarian night. What do you mean you came after me?"

"I projected out of my body, to save you and Scott."

"Scott's dead, too?" Greg asked in horror.

"He was… I healed him and sent him back. And now, I'm going to do the same thing for you, Greg."

"Pierce… It's dangerous for you to be here. In fact, I suspect it's even more dangerous for you to try to resurrect two people in one day."

"They need you, Greg. You're the reincarnation of Ash. You can stop Zell." Pierce sighed. "I met Sage's mom. She told me I could only save one of you, and that it should be you… But I couldn't just leave Scott here. He'd never turn his back on us, and I refused to do that to him. I refused to choose between you guys. You're both my friends, and no matter what anyone says, you're both important. You both deserve to live."

"We need _you,_ too, Pierce. We can't do this without you."

"You won't have to."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a Shaman, Greg. That means I can play my part even if…" Pierce sighed, the truth sinking in fully. "Even if I'm dead. I don't need my body to fight Zell. In fact, I'm stronger without it."

"Pierce, no! We can't lose you. Darcy loves you. We _all_ do."

"I love you guys, too." That wasn't something Pierce said easily, but it was true, and right now, he needed to say it. He began healing Greg, knowing the act of giving Greg back his life would almost definitely end his own. He didn't care. In his heart, he knew this was the right thing to do. "I'll keep fighting," he promised. "I'll be with you guys until the end…"

Greg was openly crying. "Pierce… I can't just let you kill yourself for me."

"It's the only way. I'm the only one who can stay in the fight without my body. If one of the people on our team has to die, it needs to be me." He felt weak. His connection to his body was slipping severely. He'd be lost soon.

 _Logan,_ he thought. _Don't let go. Not yet. Hold on to me._

He took Greg and ran with him toward the same entrance he'd used with Scott. Pierce knew Greg was healed enough that he would be able to wake back up now. "Take care of Darcy for me," Pierce said softly. "Tell her I love her, and… And tell her and my brother that I'm sorry." He fought to keep the fear out of his voice, because he knew it was over. This was the end. Part of him wanted to cry, but if he did, Greg would never leave him. Pierce couldn't do that. He had to be strong for the others. He had to see this through.

Greg nodded, still in tears. He hugged Pierce. "We won't give up on you," he promised. "We'll find a way to get you back."

"I hope so, but even if you don't… I'll be with you guys. I promise," Pierce said. "Now go. Get back to your body before I lose the connection and can't send you through."

Greg ran through the entrance. Pierce felt him land safely in his body. He tried to follow, just in case it would work, but instead, he ended up getting sucked deeper into the Underworld. "I should have known it wouldn't be that easy," he mumbled. He began falling faster, and finally landed in a deep, dark abyss. "Where the fuck _am_ I?" He asked aloud. He didn't like it down there. It was terrifying, and he felt like he was being watched. He had been there before… He was sure of that. The question was, how had he survived and escaped the last time?

 _Run, Boy,_ a voice whispered in his head. _Run as fast as you can, before it is too late. If they catch you, all hope shall be lost._

"Great. I'm hearing voices now, too," Pierce said. Still, he had a feeling that this voice was right. Something was after him, and if he didn't get away quickly, he would die.

He tried to run, but suddenly, he was being grabbed from a thousand different angles. Whatever had him in its grasp was powerful, and Pierce felt like it was trying to literally tear him apart. He screamed as the pain became too much to bear. He heard what sounded like hundreds of voices laughing at him. The darkness was trying to consume him, but he couldn't give in. He had to fight. He had to get back home. He needed to return to his team, to his brother, to Darcy…

 _Amos,_ he thought desperately. _Help me… Please… I can't get out of here on my own._

 _ **SAGE**_

They heard Greg wake up with a coughing fit. "About time!" Nessa quipped. "Did you have a nice nap while we were all panicking?"

"Greg… Oh God… Oh my God…" Darcy whispered. She pulled him into her arms, sobbing as she clung to him for dear life.

"I'm okay," Greg said, his voice hoarse.

"You cannot leave us, Ash." Sage realized Serafine had taken over for Darcy.

"Never," Ash replied through Greg. Lady Eleanor watched the exchange from a safe distance, remaining stoic and silent, but Sage could feel how relieved she was to see Greg alive again.

Andie still wasn't responding. Tears streamed down her cheeks as Ivan held her. Greg walked over to her and sat beside her. Darcy followed. "Daphne…" Greg called softly, making Sage realize it was still very much Ash in control. "Daphne, don't cry, sweetheart. I'm here. It will be okay."

"She cannot feel us," Serafine said. "There is a powerful shield around her. The souls are protecting her, and she is within their cocoon."

"She's right," Sage said. "I can sense the spirits that are surrounding her."

"She cast a shield of souls?" Ivan asked. "Isobel used to do that." Isobel had been another of Andie's past lives. She'd also been the love of Ivan's life. It had taken a while for Andie to warm up to him, but she'd finally let him back in, and they were together again.

"I don't think she did it on purpose," Sage replied, trying to read the energy. "Andie's element is Spirit. I'm guessing with my aunt hitting her head, she lost control and the spirits just came on their own to try to protect her. Even if she was aware when she first regained consciousness, once the shield fully locked in, she lost awareness of anything else."

"It's the Rangers," Troy realized. He stepped closer cautiously. "I can feel them, Mom. _All_ of them."

Sage knew what he meant. She could feel them, too. Even her mother's energy was mixed in somewhat, and to her surprise, she also felt Dax. He may have betrayed them in life, but it appeared that at least one of the Rangers who'd turned evil had changed his mind in death. Nick and Katie weren't there. Katie had been locked away where she could never harm anyone again, and it turned out that even in death, Nick had been working with Zell, who had promised to bring Nick back to life. When he'd broken his promise, Nick had betrayed Zell and told Caleb where Zell was hiding. He also told him that Zell had turned Vida evil in the same way he'd done to Rita and she had handed Darcy, Greg, and Andie over to him. While Pierce had managed to find a way to save Vida from Zell's spell, Caleb nearly died as Nick insisted on touching him. Tia had banished Nick to Sage's mother, and he was currently trapped in the Underworld for all of eternity. With that being the case, it seemed only Dax had changed his mind after the battle.

"Dax is with Ronny… I think they're trying to work out their differences," Sage said. "And Rose and Will are here, too… So's Ashley. Hell, I even feel a vague sense of Carlos… It's like Andie put out a call to all of the Rangers who are no longer alive and everyone answered. It doesn't matter if they died in the battle or before it or after… They're all here." She was a little overwhelmed, so she took a deep breath and calmed herself down.

Troy looked like he might cry. "Mom… I can see them."

Sage followed his gaze and realized who he was looking at. She couldn't see everyone clearly, but these two seemed to be trying to show themselves. The flashes of pink and silver light took on more distinct forms, and their faces became clear. "Emma and Orion…" Sage whispered.

"They're together, Mom…" His voice cracked slightly.

"Of course they are." She took her son's hand, hoping to comfort him even slightly in his grief. Emma and Orion's deaths had sent Troy into such a deep depression, she'd feared she'd never get him back. If he hadn't met Nessa, she knew she probably would have lost him.

Emma and Orion smiled at Sage and Troy, still holding onto each other while also making sure their energy touched and protected Andie. It was beautiful to see so many of the Rangers coming together to protect one of their own, and now, Sage knew what she needed to do.

"We can save Pierce," she said suddenly.

That seemed to snap Darcy out of Serafine Mode. "How?" She asked hopefully.

"The spirits can help us… They can form a path to guide us all back… If we go deep enough into the Underworld, all of us would risk ending up lost, but with the spirits of the lost Rangers acting as a beacon, I believe we can find our way back."

Amos smiled. "You are truly wise, Sage," he told her. "And I believe this is our best and possibly _only_ shot. Come."

Sage took a deep breath. "Power Rangers… Listen to me," she said to the spirits. "We have a young Ranger lost in the Underworld. We need your help to bring him back. Andie is safe now. Please release her from your shield and help us bring him home."

The spirits began to drift away from Andie and come toward the circle Amos was already casting around Pierce. Andie finally seemed to become aware of her surroundings. "Ivan?" She asked softly as she realized whose arms she was in.

"I am here, M'Lady," Ivan promised her. "At your side, as always."

"Greg… You're alive…" Andie's relief was clear.

"I seem to be, yes," Greg replied. He pulled Andie into a tight hug. Darcy joined in. Sage knew they would be okay, but they'd be a lot better once Pierce was back, too.

"Zedd, keep the energy flowing for as long as you can. Logan… Whatever you do, don't let go of Pierce's hand, especially now," Sage cautioned. "You are the one thing still anchoring him to his body, even if you can barely feel him."

"I'm not letting go," Logan promised. He looked terrified, and Sage knew how worried about his brother he actually was.

"Let's go get our boy back," Sage said.

"Time to go fishing," Amos said pleasantly. "Let us meditate. We will go under together, and we must not become separated."

"We're ready," Troy promised. He looked calmer than he had in a long time. Sage knew that seeing Emma and Orion at peace and together had helped him in ways nothing else could have.

They closed their eyes and fell into a joint meditation quickly. Sage could see the spirits lighting the way and forming a protective barrier between them and the rest of the Underworld as they journeyed deeper into it. Finally, Sage saw her mother.

"I warned him," she said sadly. "He didn't listen."

"Of course he didn't, Mom. He's a teenager," Sage said with a sad laugh. "Can you help me get him back?"

"All I can do is allow the souls of the Rangers to guide you forth. I wish I could return him to you, my sweet daughter… I greatly admire the courage it took for him to make this sacrifice to save his friends. However…"

"I know. _Balance._ It's okay. Thank you for allowing us passage, Mom."

"Be careful, Sage."

"I will be." Sage gave her mother a quick hug. As much as she missed her, she usually tried not to do that because it only made it harder to leave her, but this time, Sage needed some extra strength that only her mother could provide. "Come on, Guys. Let's go." She led Troy and Amos into the deepest corner of the Underworld… The very corner she'd been trapped in for two weeks. She'd been tortured there, and she had seen things she could never unsee. Sage had never wanted to return here, but she was surprised to find that she was unafraid now. Pierce needed her, and that gave her strength she hadn't expected.

The sound of his screams hit all three of them at once. "Come on," Troy said, ready to run after him.

"Careful, Young One," Amos cautioned. "One must not run into this corner of the Underworld without taking precautions. Hold your mother's hand and do not let go of her."

Troy nodded and held onto Sage's hand. That comforted her and she knew she could face anything this place had to throw at her as long as she had her son by her side. She'd destroy anything that tried to hurt him.

Amos manifested what resembled a fishing rod. "Seriously?" She asked.

"I have to hold onto him somehow, and he is in a bad state," Amos said, although she suspected he could have gone with another method of grabbing onto Pierce. The symbolism of the fishing rod was probably for his own amusement.

They found Pierce quickly. He was trapped in the darkness, trying to fight off shadows that were literally tearing him apart. "Quickly," Amos said. "We must rescue him."

Every horrible thing Pierce had ever survived was manifesting around him. The accident played on a loop beside him. Worse than that was the fact that Sage could see his father, and everything that bastard had ever put him through. His memories would destroy his will to fight eventually, and then the dark entities who resided in this place would consume him completely.

"Pierce!" Sage called to him. She was surprised the darkness didn't harm her. She remembered what this place did to people. It seemed she was immune to it now, and Troy and Amos were both being protected by the souls of the lost Rangers.

Pierce was alternating between screaming his head off, fighting for dear life, and whimpering. It wasn't until Amos literally hooked his shirt onto the fishing rod that he seemed to register he wasn't alone. "I've got you, Little Fish," he called soothingly, not letting go no matter how hard the darkness tried to rip Pierce off of the hook.

"Amos?" He whispered.

"And me," Sage said. "And Troy. We're here, Pierce. You're going to be okay. Just hang on."

"Sage… Sage, I'm… I'm scared," Pierce admitted.

"That's okay, Pierce," Sage said soothingly. "Everyone gets scared sometimes. We're going to get you out of this place, I promise."

Amos began to pull Pierce closer to him. Sage and Troy began attacking the dark creatures surrounding him, destroying the images they used to torment him. When Sage shattered the image of his father, Pierce began to cry. She finally reached him, and she wrapped her arms around him. "You're safe, Pierce," she promised. "It's going to be okay now."

"Am I going to die?" Pierce finally asked, pulling himself together.

"Not today, Little Fish," Amos said.

"Come on," Troy added. "The spirits will guide us home."

They began to journey back through the Underworld. As they got closer to the entrance, Sage knew they would make it. The spirits kept them protected until they reached the opening. "Thank you," Sage said to the spirits. "For everything." She meant more than just the act of protecting them that day, of course. The bulk of these spirits had lost their lives heroically. Sage wanted them to know it had not been in vain. She knew they understood as the entrance opened up wider and the spirits gently pushed them all back toward their bodies.

They awoke in unison. Logan began to cry in relief. "Pierce… I thought…" He began.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," Pierce said with a weak grin.

Darcy ran toward them and immediately flung herself into Pierce's arms. "Don't you ever, _ever_ do something that stupid and reckless and dangerous again, do you _hear_ me?" She kissed him hard before adding softly, "But thank you for bringing them back to me… And for not dying."

"Anytime," Pierce said before kissing her again.

Everyone else came over to them as well. "I knew you'd make it!" Scott said after letting out a victory cry.

"Well, you know… I've still got work to do," Pierce said with a grin.

"Damn right you do!" Scott gave him a high-five.

"I knew you could do it," Greg said with a smile.

"Welcome back, Pierce," Andie said softly.

"Thanks, guys," Pierce said.

"Well done, Little Fish," Amos said.

"I can't believe you came after me," Pierce said to Sage.

"You did exactly what I did," Sage said. "I couldn't just leave you there to die."

Pierce surprised her by hugging her. "Thank you," he whispered. He might be playing up being fine for everyone else, but he let Sage feel how shaken up he actually was by everything that had happened.

"I've got your back, Pierce," she promised. "Always."

He nodded. It was only when Lady Eleanor approached that everyone else gave him some space. "You are quite brave, Pierce," she said. She looked at Greg before she added, "Thank you for bringing my grandson back to me." She put her fist over her heart and bowed to him, the ultimate sign of respect from a member of the Eltarian Guard.

"You're welcome," Pierce replied with a respectful nod of his head.

Eleanor finally gave in to what she obviously wanted to do and pulled Greg against her in a tight hug. "Gregory…" She said softly. "Welcome back."

"I love you, Gram," Greg replied, hugging her back even tighter.

"Well, _this_ was an eventful day!" Nessa said cheerfully. "I say we go into town, get some food from Toddy's, and fill Van, Allie, and Freddy in on what they've missed."

"Toddy's fixes everything," Pierce said with a weak smile. "Logan's taught you well."

"Food sounds good," Troy agreed. "I'm starving."

"Trips into the Underworld will do that to you," Sage said knowingly. "Come on, Guys… My treat."

"I have to contact Chelsea," Logan said. "I need to know she's safe. I'll meet you guys there."

"Okay," Sage agreed. She led the others away, knowing how badly they needed to pretend things were normal for ten seconds.

"I do believe it may be time to call Vida and Chip back to Stone Hollow," Ivan said gravely as they walked.

"That's a good idea," Sage agreed. "And I think you guys may want to get to Angel Grove. We can protect you better if you're with us."

"There is safety in numbers."

"I don't know about that. The last time we brought everyone in, way too many Rangers died. I'm going to be careful how many people we call in until we have no choice left… But I think I need to have Kira and Uncle Tommy start contacting everyone to let them know what's going on. Even if we aren't together, the Rangers are in danger. We need to make sure everyone's got some warning so Aunt Kat can't keep catching entire teams off-guard."

Sage knew she had a lot of work ahead of her. She refused to focus on that as they arrived at the restaurant, choosing to live in the moment for a minute just so she could find a bit of peace before all hell inevitably broke loose again.

 _ **CAPTAIN SMITH**_

He was still sitting and keeping watch over Chelsea when B'Danna came into the room. "Captain! It's Logan," she said. She handed him a cell phone.

"Logan?" Captain Smith asked. "What's happening? Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," Logan promised. Captain Smith felt relief wash over him. "Did Chelsea find you?"

"We found her, but yes. She's here, and she is safe. Tedius healed her injuries, but she's still got a few symptoms of being concussed, so I've been watching over her while she sleeps. Kizzie brewed her something for her nerves that should also cure the last of the symptoms."

"Thank you, Captain Smith," Logan said, his own relief clear. "I appreciate that."

"What happened, Logan? She told me some of it, but her concussion made it difficult to get all of the details."

"Zell's daughter Katherine attacked. She murdered Greg… The one who's the reincarnation of Ash. She killed Scott, too. My brother went after them, and he resurrected them both, but… We nearly lost him. If Amos hadn't called Sage and Troy in to help, he'd have died."

"I see… But everyone survived?"

"Yes."

"Thank goodness for that. I'm sorry things got so out of hand. If there is anything we can do, we are at your service."

"Just take care of Chelsea. Tell her we're alright. I'll come get her soon, after I've recovered a little. It took a lot of energy to keep Pierce anchored."

"Of course. Be safe, Logan. I will speak to you soon." He hung up the phone. After a few minutes, Chelsea began to stir.

"Logan…" She whispered.

"Shhh, Chelsea… All is well," Captain Smith promised. "I have heard from Logan."

She was instantly awake. "He's alive?"

"He is. They _all_ are. Logan's brother brought your fallen friends back, and the Mystic brought help to rescue the boy."

Chelsea flung her arms around him. "Thank you for telling me," she said after a minute. She was calmer now and seemed much more Chelsea-like. "So what happens now?"

"You're going to stay with us for a bit longer. Logan promised he'd come get you soon."

Chelsea nodded. "Okay. In that case… Want to go get Nathan's?"

Captain Smith laughed. "I have not had Nathan's in quite some time," he admitted. "It's not often I get to visit Coney Island."

"It's good for the soul. Come on, Bobby. Now that my head doesn't hurt so much, I'm starving."

Captain Smith knew it was more than Chelsea's head that had hurt. Her heart had broken at the idea of losing her team and the man she loved. He was pleased to see that she was doing better now. He smiled at her pleasantly before calling to the others, figuring they might want to get something to eat as well. For now, at least, the immediate crisis was over.

 _ **CALEB**_

The memorial for Will, Rose, and Ashley had been tough to sit through, but everyone currently living in Angel Grove except Sage, Troy, and Zedd had attended. It was only right. They'd all fought together once. They would grieve together, too. Caleb was currently at the Park house, curled up in Thorn's arms again and trying to get away from all of the sadness of the day. Suddenly, a vision hit him. _There was darkness all around. A single, dull light was visible in the darkest corner, and although he was scared, Caleb ventured toward it._

" _Tell him," a voice said._

" _Tell who what?" Caleb asked nervously. He could tell he was speaking with a spirit, but this wasn't like when they came to him normally. Caleb's soul was tapping into part of the Underworld. He'd never done this before, but he could feel it was true. Whoever this spirit was, he was strong, and he was reaching out._

" _Pierce. Tell Pierce he has to return, when he is ready. There are things he does not understand… Things I must tell him."_

" _Who are you?"_

" _My name is unimportant. My time has passed. It is his time now."_

" _His time for what?"_

" _To stop him."_

" _I don't understand. Who is Pierce supposed to stop?"_

" _My brother." Suddenly, Caleb saw a flash of a pair of eyes staring at him from the darkness. And then, he saw so much more. He found himself on an unfamiliar planet, watching two boys grow up before his eyes. The older one was familiar, and as he matured, Caleb realized why._

" _Zell?" He asked. "Your brother is_ Zell?"

" _Do not let him know you have found me, Caleb. Pierce very nearly found me, too… And he's meant to… However, the darkness came for him. I had to make him run away, or he would have perished immediately. As it was, he barely survived. It is not yet time… But when it is, tell him to seek out Elgan."_

" _So your name is Elgan?"_

" _Yes. I believe you know my granddaughter, Mena." Elgan's eyes were incredibly sad. "I must go… I am weak… Barely a remnant of who I was in life… I shall be here when it is time. Goodbye, dear boy… And good luck."_

Caleb snapped back into awareness with a gasp. "Caleb? Was that a vision?" Thorn asked.

"Sort of," Caleb said. "It was more like a ghost decided to Face Time me inside of my head… I don't know how else to describe it. He showed me where he is now, and some snippets of his life…"

"Who was he?"

"He says he's Zell's brother… But I don't think it's safe to talk about that right now. I feel like if I say his name, something very bad will happen."

"Then don't… What are you going to do?"

"I need to talk to Pierce. Something's going on, and this spirit seems to want to get a message to him."

"I don't know what happened, but Sage went to Stone Hollow earlier… I think she had to go after Pierce. I could feel her projecting somewhere she doesn't usually go unless she has to."

"I think this can wait until we know everything's alright. This spirit said to wait until the time was right anyway."

"Okay. So, in the meantime… What should we do?"

"Snuggle?" Caleb asked hopefully.

"Always," Thorn replied with a laugh. He pulled Caleb closer to him, wrapping his entire body around him. Caleb had never felt safer in his life. Thorn kissed Caleb's head as he held him, and the mild anxiety Caleb was still feeling faded away.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **OLLIE**_

He was trying to stop obsessing about things, but it was hard to turn that off when they were at war. "Ollie, are you even listening to me?" Tammy asked.

"Kind of," Ollie replied. "What was the last thing you said?"

"I told you I just ordered some of the One Direction merchandise that was missing from my collection… The really old stuff that's harder to find."

"Oh… That's cool, Tam." Ollie wasn't all that interested in boy bands.

"You couldn't care less, could you?"

"Well, it's just… Boy bands aren't my thing, Tammy. They're lame."

"One Direction is _not_ lame."

"Their music is that teenybopper crap. Besides, didn't they break up?"

"No, they're on hiatus. It's different." She shook her head. "You don't understand."

"You're right. I don't. Your taste in music is really eclectic. You listen to everything. Why would some boy band be the thing you obsess over? The music is mediocre bubble-gum bullshit and they're just like every other boy band out there, right?"

"I don't obsess over them. I'm not some crazy fangirl… And they aren't just like every other group out there, but _you_ wouldn't know that. Oh, and, for the record, my dad took me to see them live, Ollie. It was one of my happiest memories of him. He also started my collection of their merch. So fuck off if you can't understand why they matter to me." She started to walk away.

"Tammy, wait! I'm sorry, okay?" Ollie asked, pulling her back toward him. "I didn't realize you associated them with your dad."

"Whatever. It doesn't matter."

"Tammy… It matters. Really. I'm just tense because of everything that's going on. I'm sorry."

She shrugged. Ollie knew she was genuinely pissed off at him. He silently cursed at himself for being so stupid and insensitive. He'd find a way to make it up to her somehow.

"Let's just focus on training. Spar with me," Tammy said.

Ollie didn't argue. He pulled out his sword and they began to spar. Soon enough, they were both caught up in the familiar routine of sparring. Ollie loved the way he and Tammy worked together. There was something magical about it. They always knew what the other one was going to do and how to support each other without speaking. It was like a dance, and it had the added bonus of keeping Ollie from saying anything stupid and sticking his foot back in his mouth.

After at least fifteen minutes straight of this, Tammy finally knocked him down. She let out a victory cheer. "And _that's_ how it's _done,_ Bitch! _"_ She said with a huge grin on her face. Ollie loved the way she looked when she smiled like that. Tammy literally radiated light when she was happy, and she looked so beautiful standing over him that he almost didn't get up. She finally offered him her hand and he took it, getting back on his feet.

"Good job, Tam," he said.

"You didn't let me win, right?" She asked.

"I know better. You'd skin me alive," Ollie said with a laugh.

"You're damn right I would!"

Ollie wrapped his arm around her side and pulled her closer to him. She didn't stop him, so apparently, she was distracted from how angry he'd made her earlier. "You're going to be better at this than I am soon," he told her honestly. Tammy was incredible with a sword. He'd never expected that, but he was genuinely impressed with how much she'd learned since finding out that she was part of the Chosen.

"You mean I'm not already?" She teased him.

"Keep dreaming, Tammy." He smiled at her, playing up his confidence.

"Let's go again," she said eagerly. He nodded and they started to spar all over again. He didn't hold back. Ollie knew she could hold her own in training. He just hoped that when it came time for all of them to face a real battle again, they'd do better than they had the last time. They'd gotten lucky because Taylor was able to resist Zell's spell. They couldn't afford to slip up even slightly the next time they faced Zell. The stakes were _way_ too high.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

 _ **KATHERINE**_

She chewed on her lip nervously, facing her father for the first time since she'd failed to bring his family home to him. She was afraid to look him in the eye.

"My daughter, do not fear me," he said soothingly.

"I assumed you would be furious with my failure," she said.

"All is not lost. The young Mystic revived Ash, and the sisters have been healed. I know you were doing quite well until the brothers were united and Lady Eleanor arrived."

"And Sir Ivan as well..."

"The Knight is insignificant. I fear he must be disposed of at some point, but not until Daphne's loyalty returns to me. Otherwise, it never will. She would not approve of me murdering him, but once she is loyal, I know she will forgive such an act."

"I will try again, Father."

"No, my dear. We must approach this differently. They are expecting you now. We need more allies on our side."

"More Rebels?"

"Perhaps... However, I had an idea of a different sort... We must build an army of Power Rangers, my dear."

"Power Rangers? Do you want to create an evil team, like Astronema's Psycho Rangers?"

"Not exactly. I wish to find former Rangers... Especially those on the outskirts who did not join the last battle... And I shall turn them into the most evil army the universe has ever seen. I shall use Zordon's minions against him. My Fire can turn nearly anyone."

Katherine smiled wickedly. "Who were you thinking of?"

"Whichever Rangers you can find... I want a list of all of the Power Rangers in history, and I want you to tell me which ones were not present in the last battle. It will be easier for our plan to go unnoticed if we choose Rangers who have kept themselves out of everything."

Katherine laughed. "Considering I was foolish enough to marry Tommy Oliver, I know who all of the Rangers are. Even if I haven't met them, I've heard of them. I will make the list, Father."

"Excellent. Also, I want you to bring me someone who is not a Ranger who they trust... One of their allies from the battle, perhaps."

"They had a few non-Rangers involved... Skull's dead, but Bulk was there. There's also Hayley..." She hated Hayley and spat out her name with venom. She'd always been jealous of the relationship between Hayley and Tommy, especially when he'd been with the Dino Thunder team. "And the clever girl who worked with the Jungle Fury team... Fran, I think her name was. My daughter killed Mentor Ji, but Doctor K is also on this list... We'd be foolish to kidnap _her_ , though. She's brilliant. She's probably the biggest threat of them all. There's also the senile professor who thinks everything is an alien, and... Of _course!"_

"What just came to you, my dear?"

"Lieutenant Stone. He would make an excellent soldier for our cause. _Everyone_ trusts him... And, more importantly, he once trusted me completely. I know I can get to him."

"Wait a few days, then bring the Lieutenant to me, Daughter. I believe he shall be of _much_ use to me."

Katherine nodded, knowing this was her last chance. If she failed again, her father would not be so forgiving. She left to make the list for him while she figured out a plan to get to her next target. She also made a decision to grab one of them for her own amusement in the meantime, while she waited to go after Lieutenant Stone.

 _ **TAYLOR**_

He was walking through the woods, taking a shortcut home after school. He felt something odd in the air and spun around. A woman who radiated power smiled at him. "Hello, Little Incubus," she said with a sadistic smile.

"Why the fuck does everyone keep calling me that? I have a _name,"_ Taylor replied sharply. His voice might not sound panicked, but his entire body was tense and ready for a fight. Whoever this woman was, she was dangerous.

 _She feels Eltarian,_ he registered. _She must be one of the Rebels._

"Your name is insignificant to me," she said.

"Well, fuck you, too, Lady," Taylor replied, rolling his eyes. He turned around to walk the way he'd originally been heading. A man stood in his path. He smirked at him, looking just as sadistic as the woman did. "I wasn't aware this was a tag-team match," Taylor quipped.

 _Shit,_ he thought. He could feel incredible power coming off of these two. Maybe he could have used incubus parlor tricks to drain one of them, but it would be hard with someone else there to attack him.

"You cannot escape us, Little Incubus," the woman said. "You shall not win this fight. The sooner you accept that, the better."

"Does she _always_ speak for you?" He asked the man.

"The Warlock only speaks when someone is worthy."

"The Warlock... So that must make _you_ the Alchemist." _Shit! I'm_ so _fucked,_ Taylor thought. _Maybe Caleb will have a vision and the team will come rescue me... Or maybe my sisters will feel me..._

"Indeed, Little Incubus. Surrender now and I promise I shall turn your corpse into a lovely golden weapon."

"Uh, thanks, but I'm good." Taylor wondered if she'd faint if he kissed her _really_ hard, but he doubted it. This Eltarian was _way_ too strong. They both were. It would take an actual effort to drain them. _They must be old as fuck,_ he thought.

Suddenly, Taylor heard the familiar sound of hooves. _Winnie,_ he thought with relief. The horse raced toward him, leaping in front of him. The Eltarians backed up slightly as Winifred circled him and let out the horse equivalent of a battle cry.

"Good girl, Winnie," Taylor said. He liked these odds a _lot_ better.

"Stupid creature! I shall turn you into a golden trash can!" The Alchemist shouted.

Taylor felt a shift in the energy. He realized a split second before it happened that the Warlock was casting a spell. He jumped between the Warlock and Winnie, not stopping to think as the spell hit him.

Every inch of Taylor's body screamed. Winnie frantically stood over him, making a lot of noise as she tried to protect him from further harm.

 _Spells are made of energy,_ Taylor thought. _Your powers revolve around feeding off of energy... Take it in..._ He didn't know if it would work, or if it would destroy him, but he had to try. He wasn't planning on dying like this.

His talisman began glowing. Taylor understood what he had to do then. He gripped it in his hand. The power flowed through him, making him stronger. The spell he'd absorbed started to lose its effect and convert into pure energy. Taylor took a deep breath and knew he was ready.

He stood back up, positioned his hands facing toward the Warlock, and began to release magic he'd never felt before. It attacked the Warlock, who cried out in pain as he stared at Taylor in shock. The talisman shattered and Taylor knew he'd fully absorbed the extra power. The training wheels were no longer necessary.

"Come!" The Alchemist shouted to the Warlock. "The boy is stronger than we were informed. We must leave for now." She grabbed the Warlock and they vanished into a portal.

Winnie nudged Taylor hard from behind and grunted at him, expressing her anger clearly. "Sorry, Winnie," he said, stroking her nose. "I know you're immortal, but that spell would have really hurt you... This time, it was _my_ turn to protect _you."_ He continued to pet Winnie, trying to soothe her. She began calming down . "Come on, Girl. Let's go home." He walked beside her, leading her on. Taylor was still too nervous to ride Winnie. Heights were definitely _not_ his favorite thing, and Winnie's back seemed awfully high. He'd gotten over his fear of her and had come to view her as a friend, but he was still gradually trying to get over his fear of heights.

When they reached the house, Taylor sat with Winnie in the backyard, brushing her and making small talk. Taylor might not be able to talk to animals like Liza, Imani, and apparently Tia, but he had started to understand Winnie on an emotional level. He could tell what she needed or what she was feeling at any given moment. His father had the same bond with Winnie, but then again, she'd originally been his horse before Zell tricked him into turning evil. That was why Galaxia had made Winnie immortal. She couldn't stand to let her last connection to Taylor's father grow old and die.

"So... I'm the first one to absorb their full duplicate Chosen power," Taylor said to Winnie. "Either I'm _finally_ good at something, or I was going to die... It's probably the second one."

Winnie grunted at him and pushed her nose against the side of his head kind of hard as if to say, _Stop knocking yourself. I love you._ She did that a lot when Taylor put himself down, but it was a hard habit to break. His mother had destroyed his self-esteem before he'd even known what self-esteem _was._ He'd sort of been conditioned to think he was worthless.

"Sorry, Winnie. I'm working on it," he promised, petting her nose. He stayed there, grooming her and pouring out everything going on in his head. Winnie was the best listener he knew. He wondered if she knew how much he appreciated having her around. There were some things he just couldn't talk about with anyone else.

 _ **VIDA**_

She was still shaken up, and it had been over a day since Ivan had called her. Vida replayed the conversation in her mind.

 _"M'Lady Vida... Something has happened," Ivan said._

 _"Ivan? What's wrong?" She asked in alarm. Ivan rarely sounded this upset._

 _"Let me begin by saying that everyone is alive."_

 _She knew it must be bad then. "Tell me."_

 _"The Stone Warriors were attacked, Vida... By Katherine Hillard."_

 _"Kat showed up in Stone Hollow? How bad was it?" Vida asked. Chip heard that and horror flashed on his face. He came closer, wrapping his arms around Vida to try to calm her. She put the phone on speaker. "You're on speaker. Chip's here."_

 _"Hello, my Good Sir Chip!" Ivan greeted him._

 _"Hey, Ivan," Chip said. "What's going on? I heard Vida say Kat showed up?"_

 _"Yes... And she attacked them one at a time. It was quite bad. Based on what Pierce and Logan witnessed, we believe her intention was to abduct Darcy and Andie, which most likely means she was going to abduct Greg as well. She knocked Andie unconscious, and she wounded Darcy severely. Greg tried to help her, and Katherine..." Ivan hesitated._

 _"Ivan... Please," Vida coaxed him._

 _"She shoved a sword through his chest. Initially, he died."_

 _"Oh my God..." Vida whispered in horror. Chip held her tighter. She could feel the way he was trembling._

 _"Chelsea arrived at some point after... I do not have all of those details. I do know Katherine broke her leg and severely injured her. She was quite concussed, but still trying to fight. Scott tried to protect her, but...He perished as well."_

 _"Scott? That bitch killed_ Scott?" _Vida demanded. Of all of the kids, Vida had a soft spot for Scott. He'd been the first baby Ranger she'd found, and they'd bonded over their love of music. Scott had brought the rest of the team to her. Vida was filled with rage, which was actually a nice break from the horror she'd been feeling before._

 _"Yes. Pierce ultimately got Katherine's attention away from Chelsea, and Logan was able to activate an illegal portal Raffitty used to use. He sent her to New York to the Rebels."_

 _"Logan sent Chelsea to members of the fucking_ Rebellion?! _What was he_ thinking?! _We can't trust them-"_

 _"Logan insists that these Rebels will not harm Chelsea. He has ensured us they are not like the others. I do not know what to believe, but I do know that Logan would never endanger Chelsea. If he says she is safe, then she is safe."_

 _"He's right, V," Chip said. "Logan would die before he let someone hurt Chelsea."_

 _"Just tell us the rest, Ivan," Vida said._

 _"Pierce and Logan joined forces, and Katherine attempted to flee. She sacrificed Darcy because she could not transport both her and Andie with neither one functional. She threw Darcy at Pierce to buy herself time, and she might have gotten away with Andie if Lady Eleanor and I had not arrived. Katherine finally dropped Andie and fled. Pierce healed Darcy, and then... Well..." Ivan hesitated again._

 _"He pulled a Sage,_ didn't _he?" Chip guessed._

 _"Indeed, my friend. And had Amos, Sage, and Troy not come to help, I believe we would have lost him. Although Casey warned him he could only save one, and she apparently wanted it to be Greg, Pierce insisted on saving them both. Scott was easy to save, but saving Greg was too much. Logan was barely able to hold onto him. If Andie hadn't lost control of her Spirit powers, there's a possibility this would not have worked, but Sage realized she could use our deceased friends to protect them as they went after Pierce. It worked, and everyone is alive. We're going to go to Angel Grove, and Lady Eleanor has decided to bring her team as well. The two teams are stronger together. I will gladly continue as the mentor to the Stone Warriors if you need me to, however-"_

 _"We're coming," Vida said._

 _"Are you certain you do not wish to remain with Mystic Force?"_

 _"The kids need us, Ivan," Vida said. "You can't tell me my Rangers almost died... Hell, some_ did _die... And not expect me to come back."_

 _"We miss you guys anyway," Chip added._

 _"Then I look forward to seeing you both," Ivan said._

That was how Vida found herself and Chip returning to Stone Hollow. Scott was the first one to spot them. "Vida!" He cried, leaving his boyfriend Van's arms to run into Vida's.

Vida had to fight back tears as she hugged him. She opened her arms wider and said, "Come here, my babies!"

Darcy, Greg, Pierce, and Andie joined the hug, which Chip got in on quickly. "So I take it Chelsea's not here?" Vida asked.

"She's on her way," Logan said. He paused before adding, "Captain Smith is bringing her."

"Why didn't you just go get her yourself?" Chip asked curiously.

"The portal I sent her through is unstable. It has been since Raff died... But I had to try. She wouldn't have made it otherwise."

"If the portal's no good, how are they traveling? Do they have someone with magic who can do it?"

"Kizzie could transport one or two people, but no. They're flying."

"Eltarian Rebels have passports now?" Vida quipped. They didn't need passports from New York, but still...

"Actually, yes, but they didn't go through a public plane. Captain Smith has his own private jet for emergencies."

"Of _course_ he does... Who _is_ this guy, Logan?"

"Someone I respect very much. He's a good man to have on your side."

"Didn't he participate in the attack on Eltar with his chapter of Rebels?"

"Yes... But so did _I,"_ Logan reminded her.

 _"You_ were _brainwashed._ You weren't yourself. They activated programming," Vida replied.

"Yeah, they totally _Bucky Barnes-ed_ you. That wasn't your fault," Chip added.

"Look... Of everyone who was there, Captain Smith was the most opposed to it. He was furious when he realized Garron and Zydia decided the children were 'necessary casualties' to drive the Rebellion's point home. He was the only voice of reason trying to stop the others from going too far. Vida... Not all of the Rebels are bad guys."

She sighed. "Look... I believe you wouldn't leave Chelsea with anyone who would hurt her, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt," Vida said. "Now shut up and hug me."

Logan gave her a hug. Ivan came over next to do the same. "I have missed you both very much," he said.

"We missed you, too," Vida said. It was true. She'd gotten very used to having Ivan around. He was family.

"Yeah, Man. It's _really_ good to see you," Chip added.

More people arrived. "Vida! Chip! " Allie squeaked excitedly. She ran toward Vida to hug her and Chip. "It's so good to see you guys!" The bubbly girl was part of the team Nessa led, the Ranger Guard. She had once been a Tulpa, created by her "sister," an Eltarian Rebel named Insu, or Ingrid as she was known in public. Insu was twenty and had been raised by Raffitty after her family was executed for Treason on Eltar. She wasn't really one of the bad guys, but she'd done bad things for Raffitty. To protect her sister, Insu had left the Rebellion and had willingly sacrificed herself to make Allie real. Because of this, Allie was now the Tulpa maker, and she'd brought Insu back to life. Insu no longer had her powers, but she was alive and well.

"Hey," Freddy, Allie's devoted boyfriend and Scott and Chelsea's band mate, said casually.

"Still a man of few words I see," Vida teased him as she opened her arms for a hug. It was fairly rare that Freddy said more than a couple of words at a time. Still, she liked him. The kid was the only member of the Ranger Guard who wasn't at least part Eltarian except for Logan, and at least Logan had been trained by the Rebellion and treated as an Eltarian for years. Plus, it turned out Logan had powers. Freddy was extremely human with no supernatural talents to speak of. He still managed to prove he was a badass by outsmarting the bad guys and fearlessly doing whatever it took to save his friends regardless of the risk to himself.

"Freddy, my man!" Chip greeted him. He gave him a tight hug.

"Van, why the fuck have I not been hugged by you yet?" Vida teased him.

Van smiled at her before coming over. "How have you guys been?" He asked.

"Not bad. How are _you_ doing?" Vida asked. Van's father, and only living parent, had been part of the Rebellion and had forced Van to join. After falling in love with Scott, Van had walked away from the Rebellion. Around the same time, Allie had also refused to go back to them. To protect Scott and the others, Van had endured a savage beating from Raffitty that nearly killed him. His father, Tegus, had finally realized Van needed to get away from the Rebellion and he'd let Van and several of the others escape. Unfortunately, he'd refused to leave with them and had been killed shortly after. Van lived with Scott and his father now.

"I'm mostly okay," Van replied. "It's hard sometimes, but Scott and his dad have really helped me through it, and being part of the Ranger Guard gives me a sense of purpose and a reason to keep going."

Vida nodded. "I'm glad to hear that."

Lady Eleanor arrived with Nessa. "Vida. Chip. How lovely it is to see you again," she greeted them.

"Hi Guys," Nessa added cheerfully.

"I assume Mena's still in Angel Grove?" Chip asked.

"Yes, eagerly waiting for us. I briefly went back with Troy and Sage so I could tell her what happened. She's a bit shaken up," Nessa admitted. Mena was the youngest member of her team. She might be remarkably mature, but she'd been torn away from everything she'd ever known recently. She'd had to flee Eltar, her home, and now lived on a foreign planet with Zordon, who she hadn't known she was related to. Mena had lost her only parent when the Prime Minister of Eltar was killed, and it had been at Logan's hands. Vida had no idea how Mena could put that aside to work with him on the Ranger Guard. The girl was emotionally strong as all hell, but finding out Greg, her boyfriend, had briefly died had probably taken a toll on her.

They were distracted as the private jet landed. Vida's eyes went wide at the sight. "I'll say _this_ for him," Chip said. "This guy knows how to make an entrance!"

The door opened and the passengers began to emerge. "Kizzie!" Logan cried out as the first one touched the ground.

"Logan, thank goodness you're well," Kizzie replied, hugging him. Vida had not expected to see Eltarian Rebels hugging people.

"B'Danna, Tedi... I'm glad to see you," Logan continued.

Chelsea came out next, and Logan apparently forgot everything else. "Hey there, _Wolverine,"_ she said, running into his arms in a flash of light. Then she noticed the others. "Vida! Chip!" She flung her arms around them.

"Chels!" Chip cried with joy. "How's the leg?"

"I'm fine. Bobby's people took good care of me." She spotted Scott and ran to him. She promptly punched him in his side.

"Ouch!" Scott cried out.

"I _told you_ to leave, not _die_ on me, you fucking jerk!" Chelsea said.

"Sorry, Chels," Scott replied. "I'll try not to die again."

"You _better_ not, Scotty-Boy..." She hugged him, then hugged everyone else.

The final passenger exited the plane. It was easy to tell who this man was. Lady Eleanor stepped in front of him, hand on her sword, before anyone else could move.

"Captain B'bodian Smizek," she said coldly. "I ought to charge you with High Treason this instant for all that you have done."

Captain Smith, to Vida's great surprise, did not attack her. "You are a woman of great honor, Lady Eleanor. If you believe that is what you must do, I accept that... However, I believe that I may be able to assist you."

"We do not need _your_ sort of _help,_ B'bodian."

"I have many resources at my disposal, Lady Eleanor. My contacts on this planet are vast, and the humans I associate with are honorable. Besides, we stand against a common enemy. The Great Wizard is no friend of ours."

She frowned at him. "I trained you from the time you were a _boy,_ B'bodian. I am ashamed of what you turned into. You once had honor, too."

"If you give me a chance, Lady Eleanor, you may find that I still do."

"Lady Eleanor... With all due respect, without Bobby and his people, I'd be dead right now," Chelsea said.

Still frowning, Lady Eleanor moved impressively quick, putting her sword to Captain Smith's throat. "Set _one toe_ out of line and I shall personally carry out your sentence immediately," she informed him.

"I have no doubt that is true," Captain Smith replied. Lady Eleanor pulled her sword away from his throat and sent it back to wherever she had manifested it from.

"Well, _that_ was fun!" Nessa said with a laugh. "Who's ready to travel to Angel Grove?"

"How are we getting there, anyway?" Darcy asked. "Greg can only teleport so many of us at a time."

"Troy's sending us a ride," Nessa said with a smile.

That was when the portal opened. A familiar face smiled at them. "Liza always has perfect timing," Chip said in wonder.

"She's an _actress,_ Chip. She probably waits to hear her cue," Vida said with a laugh.

"Hi, Guys," Liza greeted them. She paused, looking at the Rebels. "Okay, I know most of you, but... Who are they?"

"That's Captain Smith, of the Eltarian Rebellion," Pierce said. "He's here to help."

Liza shrugged. "If he's cool with you, he's cool with me," she replied. "And his friends?"

"The one on the right is Kizzie. She's a sorceress. The one next to Kizzie is Tedius. Tedi's a healer," Logan explained. "He's also good with tactics, which is good because they lost their tactical and weapons expert, Rupi... Zell left him to die in the last battle. And the one who looks a bit on the goth side is B'Danna. She's a fierce warrior, and she's the youngest member of the chapter."

"I'm still a _lot_ older than _you,"_ B'Danna pointed out.

"You look like a college freshman," Liza observed.

" _Finally_ , yes. It is nice to no longer have to go through high school over and over again. But, I assure you, I am well over a century old."

"Okay, cool. Did any of you tell Zordon you were bringing Eltarian Rebels to the party?" Liza asked.

"Not exactly," Pierce said. "Do you think he'll be pissed?"

"Zordon? No," Nessa answered before Liza could. " _Mena,_ however, might have an issue with this."

B'Danna and Tedius seemed to really notice Nessa for the first time. "Oh, shit..." B'Danna said.

Vida laughed. "That makes you sound pretty human," she said. She was seriously amused by the Rebels apparently being afraid of Nessa, but then again, Nessa had killed several of them on her own when the Counsel Building was attacked. The girl was a serious badass.

"Marinessa..." Captain Smith said as he realized who she was.

"Alive and kicking, no thanks to you lot," Nessa replied.

"I am terribly sorry for what happened to your family, Marinessa. I assure you, we were unaware of the attack on the children, and we do not condone it."

Nessa visibly tensed. She looked like she might attack him.

"Sir..." Kizzie said in a warning tone.

"This girl deserves an apology," Captain Smith insisted. "I have nothing but regret for our involvement in the attack on the Eltarian Counsel. It was poorly planned and Garron and Zydia took unacceptable liberties with innocent lives. This girl has suffered great loss, and yet she fought fiercely. She defended and rescued many innocent souls, nearly at the cost of her own life. She has honor, as did her father."

"My father was a _traitor!"_ Nessa shouted.

"Your father believed in what the Rebellion is _supposed_ to stand for. Unfortunately, good men sometimes make poor choices. You need to know that he loved you, Marinessa. He stayed behind and gave himself up just so he could try to rescue you."

Nessa was visibly upset, but she shook it off quickly. "I _know_ that," she said. "I know he was a good man, and I know he believed in your so-called cause. That does _not_ mean that I support having you here. Unfortunately, I believe it is necessary for the time being. Besides, it is better you are on our side than trying to kill us."

"Guys, as much fun as this is, I can't keep this portal open forever. Let's go," Liza said.

"Is this everyone?" Vida asked.

"Amos is joining us later," Pierce said. "He's driving."

Insu appeared suddenly. "My apologies for being late," she said softly. The quiet older sister of Allie was very shy.

"Insu! It's so lovely to see you again," Captain Smith said with delight. He opened up his arms. Insu walked over to him and allowed him to give her a hug.

"I did not expect to see you today, Captain Smith," she said.

"We are standing with your new friends, my dear."

"Insu, Luv, how are you? I have been worried about you," Kizzie said.

Insu was a little less shy as she hugged Kizzie. "It's good to see you all," she said sweetly.

"Okay, so Allie's sister's coming with us," Liza said. "Anyone else?"

"Lido is on a vision quest. He doesn't even know what happened yet," Andie replied. Andie and Lido had the ability to share their sense of sight. Lido always knew when Andie was in trouble, but they'd been told his recharging vision quests would leave him completely unreachable until they were over.

"Caius can fill him in later," Liza said. "Okay, everyone in."

They began walking through the portal to Angel Grove. Vida was a little nervous to be returning, but she knew she had to. This was it. She couldn't leave her kids defenseless.

 _ **TAMMY**_

She had no idea where she was. This had happened to Tammy one other time, and Zell had been behind it. She shuddered at the memory of the night she'd ended up in the woods, barefoot and in her pajamas, with no real idea what she could do magically. Sure, Tammy knew by then that she could create light when she sang, but she didn't know much about the Chosen yet. All she really knew was that the supposedly pure evil Lord Zedd could not bring himself to harm her. Zell had flung Tammy off a cliff that night, and although she'd managed to cling to a branch, she'd very nearly fallen to her death. Zedd had saved her and literally carried her back to her father at the hotel they were staying in.

 _There'll be no going home to your daddy now,_ she thought sadly. Tammy took a deep breath and pushed the thought out of her head and decided she'd need to use her powers because this place was too dark to see in.

 _"There's a liiiiight... Over at the Frankenstein place... There's a liiiiight... Burning in the fireplace... There's a light... Light... In the darkness of everybody's life,"_ she sang. _"The darkness must go, down the river of night's dreaming... Flow, Morpheus slow... Let the sun and light come streaming into my life... Into my life..."_ She smiled as the dark room she was in lit up.

 _"Rocky Horror?"_ A voice asked. "Aren't you a bit young for that, Little Girl?"

Tammy turned toward the sound. "Who are you?" She demanded. "Did you bring me here?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "Do I _look_ like I brought you here?" She asked. She was tied to a chair and pretty beat up.

"No," Tammy admitted. "Who did this to you?"

"Hell if _I_ know! Are you going to help me, or not?"

Tammy hesitated. She had no idea who this woman was or why she was tied up. "I haven't decided yet. Let's try this again. Who are you?"

"The name's Kelsey. Kelsey Winslow."

"Okay, Kelsey... I'm Tammy. What do you remember about what happened to you?"

"Stop asking questions and fucking untie me, Kid! I don't have _time_ for this shit!"

"Then stop _wasting_ it, Kelsey."

Kelsey sighed. "Fine. I was skydiving one minute, and the next thing I knew, I was _here._ Some creepy bitch who called herself the Alchemist said she wanted to experiment on me... And then, she left me in the dark wondering what the fuck was going on. Satisfied?"

"The Alchemist is bad news," Tammy said. She quickly began untying Kelsey, deciding there was no time to hesitate. If the Alchemist had kidnapped her, this _definitely_ had something to do with Zell. "But why would they be after you?"

"I don't know. I was pretty sure I left all this shit behind years ago."

"Wait... You mean this is familiar to you?"

Kelsey shook her head. "Stop asking questions, Tammy. What _are_ you? Like, _five?"_

"I'm nearly _fifteen,_ actually," Tammy snapped at her. "And I'm _trying_ to _help_ you, so please stop being such a bitch."

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" Kelsey asked. "I'm just a little stressed out... What exactly do you think you can do to help me? Other than be my human flashlight?"

"I can fight. Come on, let's get out of here." Tammy led Kelsey toward the stairs. They must have been in a basement.

They didn't make it very far. The woman who appeared in front of them was not the Alchemist, but Tammy knew _exactly_ who she was.

"Felina..." She whispered.

"Hello, Tamira," Felina said with a subtle threat in her voice. "I _had_ hoped my spell would lure you here. Tell me, Child... What do you think you are doing?"

"Saving this innocent woman," Tammy answered steadily.

"Saving her?" Felina laughed. "Didn't she _tell_ you, Child? She is a former Power Ranger. She should be perfectly capable of saving herself."

"I _am,_ Bitch, so back off," Kelsey said. She took a slight step in front of Tammy protectively. Then, as Felina fired a spell at them, Kelsey pulled Tammy into the only safe spot. They became trapped by debris.

"You're a Power Ranger? You weren't in the battle," Tammy said as she tried to figure out how to escape from the tight space. "What team are you from?"

"Lightspeed Rescue... I was Yellow. Dana decided that losing Carter in that fire was all the grief she could handle. She didn't call us about the battle until after it was over because she refused to ask us to risk our lives," Kelsey said as she tried in vain to dig through the debris. "Ryan was the only one she took with her. What Ranger team are _you_ from?"

"I'm not. I'm Chosen. It's different... But my color is Black, and my... My father was a Power Ranger... Zack Taylor."

"Whoa, your dad was an original Ranger? Okay, sorry I was so disrespectful earlier. I'm hangry." She paused. "Wait, didn't he...?"

"Die? Yeah. It sucks, but now's not the time. We have to get out of here before Felina brings any more debris down on us." Tammy tried not to panic. Raven, her Chosen ancestor, had literally had a ceiling dropped on his head the day he died. This was too similar to that.

"We'll be okay," Kelsey promised. "Look... An opening! Help me dig."

They worked on it together. Felina seemed mildly surprised when they escaped. "Well done," she mocked them. "You may run if you so desire... However, I have a compelling reason for Kelsey to remain behind willingly."

"Not a _damn_ thing would make me stay here!" Kelsey declared.

Felina laughed before snapping her fingers. A badly beaten Asian man landed at her feet. "Chad?" Kelsey whispered in horror.

"Kelsey..." He croaked out.

"What do you want?" Kelsey demanded.

"First, I want you to stop interfering in my attempts on Tamira's life. If I slaughter her, the Chosen will fail," Felina said.

"Done," Kelsey said without hesitating.

"Wow, _seriously?"_ Tammy asked. " _That's_ what I get for untying you?"

"Second, you will surrender yourself to the Alchemist. You will allow her to experiment on you, and if she deems you of little use to her, you will step into the flames and join our side," Felina continued.

"And, if I agree, you will let Chad go without harming him any further?" Kelsey asked.

"Yes. That is the deal we are making."

Kelsey nodded. "I accept."

"No... Kelsey, don't..." Chad said weakly.

"I can't let her hurt you," Kelsey said, looking into his eyes. She let her eyes fall on Tammy's and widened them, obviously trying to tell her something before she quickly looked away.

 _She's still on our side!_ Tammy realized.

Kelsey shifted until she was closer to the wall. Tammy noticed her reaching for a sharp piece of debris that had fallen. For a moment, Tammy had hope that everything would be alright. Then, Felina laughed.

"Did you _really_ think I would fall for your lie?" Felina asked. With one swift wave of what Tammy assumed was her wand, she sent Kelsey flying against the ceiling. This continued, full-force, while Felina hardly paid attention to the gravity-defying magic. Kelsey screamed a couple of times in agony.

"Kelsey!" Tammy shouted. "No! No, stop! _Stop it!"_

Felina smiled at her cruelly. "I will stop... If you hand yourself over to be executed," she said.

"Tammy, don't..." Kelsey shouted from where she hovered in mid-air. Felina flung her against the ceiling again, harder this time. Kelsey's screams were worse than ever, and Tammy knew how badly she must be hurt.

"Well, Child? Answer me. This Yellow Ranger does not have all day," Felina said.

Tammy knew the truth... Felina would kill Kelsey, and probably Chad, no matter what Tammy agreed to. Still, it was hard not to give in and accept the offer when it might spare Kelsey from more pain.

" _Answer_ me!" Felina demanded. She slammed Kelsey against the ceiling again for emphasis. Tammy heard something snap loudly. Kelsey wasn't crying in pain anymore, but a soft whimper escaped from her throat.

"No," Tammy said firmly. "I do not accept your deal."

"Very well," Felina said. She slammed Kelsey against the ceiling again. This time, Kelsey's head hit it full-force. Felina dropped Kelsey to the floor, discarding her with no real reaction. She laughed and said, "I shall return shortly, Child. For now, look at what you forced me to do."

Tammy knew Kelsey was either dead or at least brain dead. The latter might be reversible with the right healer, but actual death was another story. Tammy checked Chad first, not ready to face what she knew was likely.

"Chad... Stay with me, Chad," Tammy said soothingly. "My name is Tammy. I'm not a Power Ranger, but I'm Chosen... My dad was an original Power Ranger... I'm going to get you out of this, okay? But you have to stay with me."

"Kelsey..." Chad said weakly.

"I'll save her, too," she said. She hoped that was possible.

The basement was dark again. Tammy sighed. She needed help, and _fast,_ but she didn't have her cell phone. _Zedd!_ She thought. _You_ always _sense when I'm in trouble, Zedd, and I'm in a_ ton _of it right now. I need your help! Bring Liza. We need a portal. Can you hear me?_

She heard no answer. Feeling hopeless, Tammy tried singing, if only to soothe Chad. She started off softly singing _Just Hold On_ by Louis Tomlinson, but belted out the chorus as her light filled the room like it never had before.

 _"The sun goes down, but it comes back up! The world it turns no matter what! Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, if it all goes wrong, darling just hold on..."_ She couldn't hold back then, singing joyfully as the song filled her with hope like it always did.

"Your voice is beautiful," Chad said softly. "But how is it suddenly so light in here? And why do I feel so... Peaceful?" He was still hurt, but her light probably made him forget enough that he could focus and speak more.

"It's my superpower," Tammy said. "And that song, in particular, got me through the hardest time of my life. I guess my emotional attachment to it made the light stronger..."

"Who the _hell_ gave you permission to do that, you brat?" Felina demanded as she came back into the basement. She slapped Tammy hard across the face, but her light did not diminish.

Suddenly, a portal opened, successfully distracting Felina. "Tammy? Are you alright?" Zedd called.

"I'm fine, but we've got injured Power Rangers," Tammy said.

"Hey… Look who's all grown up! Your talisman shattered, Tammy," Liza pointed out in excitement.

Tammy hadn't even noticed, but she looked down now and realized Liza was right. "That explains the power boost," she said.

"Good work, Tammy… Now, stay strong and keep that light flowing. Zedd, help the Rangers," Liza said. "I'll hold the Witch Bitch off."

"You're not at full power, Liza," Zedd cautioned. "You used a lot of energy to transport the Stone Warriors, the Ranger Guard, and Company."

"I've got this. Go heal people," Liza insisted.

Zedd sighed, but got closer to Tammy. "Who are they?" He asked her.

"This is Chad, from Lightspeed Rescue. Kelsey's over there," Tammy said, pointing to her.

Zedd hesitated, but went to check on Kelsey first. He sighed. "Tammy…" He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Tammy. She's already gone. I can do nothing for this one."

Tammy bit her lip to keep from crying. "I understand," she said, keeping the emotion from her voice. "Please help Chad. He's very hurt."

Zedd knelt beside Chad and began healing him. "Kelsey…" Chad whimpered.

"Shhh… Be calm, Chad," Zedd said. "You are safe now. Rest, and allow me to heal you."

Chad seemed to fall into a trance of sorts. "What did you do?" Tammy asked.

"I calmed his mind. He'll snap out of it when he's stronger."

She nodded and let him continue. She looked over at Liza and saw that the young sorceress was holding her own well enough against Felina. They were exchanging spells back and forth fairly evenly, until Liza suddenly swayed.

"Oh my gosh… Liza!" Tammy called frantically as she watched her collapse.

Zedd had finished with Chad, and he looked up in alarm as Tammy screamed. Felina tried to attack Liza again, but Zedd quickly jumped between them.

"Not another _step,_ Sorceress," Zedd snapped at her.

"How amusing. Do you _really_ believe you can take me, Lord Zedd?" Felina asked in a mocking tone.

"I have met a hundred of your sort before, Felina. You are no threat to me."

"I am a powerful sorceress of Eltar!"

"You are a follower, wasting her time and power serving a master who does not deserve or appreciate her. You are no different from Merkhet, or any of the others like her." He began raising energy to form some sort of protective shield around Tammy, Chad, and Liza.

"Zedd! Be careful!" Tammy cautioned.

"I have this covered, Tammy. Stay where you are," Zedd said firmly. She didn't protest, instead choosing to focus on protecting Chad and Liza while Zedd held Felina off.

Suddenly, another portal opened. Tammy looked up in surprise. "Tammy! Are you okay?" Ollie asked as he stepped through. Caleb, Taylor, Angie, Brian, and Tia followed.

"I'm fine, but Liza's down," Tammy said.

Tia was the first to run to her sister, letting the portal drop. "Liza? Do you hear me?" She asked, pulling her into her arms.

Taylor hurried to their side. "She's got almost no energy," he said with concern. "I'll try to regenerate it."

"How did you guys find us?" Tammy asked.

"Caleb had a vision," Brian said. "He got the rest of us together and we came right away."

"Thanks, Caleb." She hugged him.

"No problem," Caleb replied.

Angie joined Zedd in front of Felina. "Angie, stay back," Zedd advised.

"No way, Dad. You need help," Angie protested. She began casting spells back at Felina.

"Little Sorceress…" Felina said with vague interest. "How lovely you are. I can see why the Great Zell wanted to make you his."

Angie stiffened, but continued fighting. Tammy automatically sent soothing light to her friend, hoping it would comfort her. Angie visibly relaxed and Tammy knew it was working.

"Tammy… Where's your talisman?" Ollie asked.

"It shattered," Tammy said with a bit of pride.

"Yours, too?" Taylor asked. "Nice. Ollie better step it up before we all get our full powers before our fearless leader."

"Taylor, be nice," Tia scolded him. She was still watching Liza with concern. She gently moved the hair out of Liza's face, stroking her head.

"Is she going to be okay?" Brian asked.

"She'll be fine," Taylor said. "She overdid it, but if she gets some rest, she'll be back to herself in no time. I can feel her energy coming back."

Chad began to snap out of his trance. "What happened?" He asked softly.

"Shhh, it's okay, Chad," Tammy said soothingly, giving him a hug.

"Who's this guy?" Ollie asked.

"Chad, from Lightspeed Rescue. He was hurt pretty badly, but Zedd healed him," Tammy explained.

"Kelsey… She's gone, isn't she?" Chad asked very sadly.

Tammy couldn't fight her emotions. "Yes," she said. "I'm so sorry, Chad. Zedd tried, but it was already too late…" She felt incredibly guilty. Kelsey had tried so hard to protect her and Chad, and Felina had killed her for it.

 _I should have been able to save her,_ she thought. A couple of tears slid down her cheeks. Ollie moved closer to her, pulling her into his arms. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly, so no one else could hear him.

"Not right now," Tammy said, appreciating the hug. She held him tightly, finding strength in knowing he was there with her. She wasn't alone, and with all of the Chosen, plus Zedd, Felina stood no chance of defeating them. It was almost over.

Felina proved her point by vanishing in an instant, apparently fleeing to safety. Angie dropped her magic, looking at Zedd. "Are you okay?" She asked him.

"I'm fine, my dear… Are you?" He asked.

Angie nodded. "I'm alright," she promised. The two of them joined the rest.

Liza was still unconscious in Tia's arms while Taylor worked on her. "Taylor, stop," Zedd advised. "You've given her more than enough energy. She'll wake up when she's ready. If you give her any more, _you'll_ collapse."

Taylor sighed. "I know you're right," he said. He reluctantly moved away from her.

"Tia, let me take her… I can carry her while you open the portal."

"Of course," Tia said.

"Wait!" Tammy said.

"What is it?" Tia asked.

"Kelsey… We can't leave her here. The Alchemist wanted to experiment on her. I don't want to know what she'll do to her body…" She almost choked on the last word. Ollie took her hand and gently squeezed it.

Chad let out a slight whimper. "I… I could carry her," he said.

"You're not strong enough, Friend," Brian said gently. " _I'll_ carry her… I promise I'll be careful with her."

Chad nodded. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Come on, Man," Ollie said to Chad. "You're still shaky. I'll help you walk." He guided Chad toward Tia's portal as it opened.

Together, they walked through the portal and returned to Angel Grove. They ended up at the Command Center. "Alpha… Please get Zordon," Ollie said. "Something's happened."

"Ay-yi-yi!" Alpha Twenty-Six replied as he saw Chad and Kelsey. "Right away." He ran off to find Zordon.

Zedd carefully laid Liza down on the healing bay. "Brian, bring Kelsey here," he said. He motioned toward a second bay. Brian placed the deceased Ranger on it, covering her partially with his jacket to cover up some of the damage she'd suffered.

Chad stood beside his fallen friend, tears streaming down his cheeks. Zordon arrived a minute later. "Chad," he said with surprise. Then, he saw Kelsey. "Oh, my… Was it Katherine?"

"Not this time," Zedd replied.

Zordon noticed Liza. "Zedd… Is she alright?" he asked.

"She'll recover. She used too much energy today, but Taylor helped her a bit, and I'm sure a little time on the healing bay will do the rest of the work."

Zordon nodded. "What happened? Who has done this to Kelsey?"

"Felina," Tammy said numbly. "It was Felina, Zordon. I… I couldn't stop her."

"Tammy, my dear, do not blame yourself for the actions of that woman. Felina is a cold, calculating monster who enjoys inflicting pain on others. She would have done this regardless of what you tried to do." Zordon looked at Chad. "I am so sorry for your pain, Chad. You should stay here, in Angel Grove. We can protect you. Would you like me to contact Dana and the rest of your team for you?"

Chad shook his head. "No," he said softly. "Dana lost enough recently… She should hear this from me."

"Of course. Alpha, take Chad somewhere private where he may recover and contact his team."

"Yes, Zordon," Alpha said, leading Chad away.

Zordon looked at the others. "Are you all alright?" He asked.

"We're fine," Ollie said. "By the time we got there, most of us weren't needed. Oh, and Tammy's talisman shattered, so now she and Taylor both have their extra powers."

"That is excellent news, especially in these very troubling times," Zordon said. He looked haunted. Tammy wanted to comfort him, but Zordon made a hasty excuse to walk away a minute later.

"Watch over Liza for me?" Zedd asked.

"Of course," Tammy said. He nodded and walked after Zordon. Tammy hoped Zedd could help him with whatever was on his mind.

 _ **ZORDON**_

He felt sick. Too many Rangers had already died, and now, it was happening again. This time, it was worse. They had no idea when or where his father and his followers would attack. Zordon was overwhelmed knowing that, at any moment, another Power Ranger could perish.

"Intergalactic currency for your thoughts, Old Friend?" Zedd asked gently.

Zordon smiled at Zedd weakly. "I did not think you would leave Liza's side to come after me," he said.

"She will be alright on her own for a bit. She needs rest… You, however, looked like you could use someone to talk to."

"They're dying, Zedd… My Rangers are dying, one by one, and I cannot seem to do anything to stop it."

"This isn't your fault, Zordon."

"My father and his followers are the ones killing them… Katherine, my _sister,_ killed some of them."

"Their actions are not your doing. You have to stop blaming yourself for the actions of others, my brother."

"I cannot… These Rangers are only at risk because I created the Power Rangers to begin with. My father is targeting them because of my choices."

"You were protecting the world, Zordon. From Rita, from me… And later, from all of the others."

"You and Rita were only evil because he made you that way… And he did that because I loved you both so deeply."

"He would have done it regardless and you know it. I was a threat to him, and Rita was destined to become the Mystic Mother. He knew that, and he knew she would be a powerful force of Good who would one day destroy him if the Chosen did not."

"I still feel responsible, even if I am not… I cannot protect them, Zedd… And it is my job. They look to me when all else fails, but I cannot save them. I cannot even begin to predict what he will do next."

"You put too much pressure on yourself, Zordon." Zedd put a soothing arm around his best friend's shoulder.

"Thank you, Zedd… I appreciate your kind words."

"Come on. Let's get some air. The children will be alright for a bit without us."

"I should tend to Chad…"

"Chad needs time to grieve, and he has Alpha. He will be fine."

Zordon nodded. "Alright. Air does sound appealing," Zordon admitted. He felt trapped suddenly, like he couldn't quite breathe. Everything was closing in on him. His father was back, and stronger than ever, with a powerful group of allies.

"We'll stop this, Zordon," Zedd promised as they left the Command Center. "Together."

Zordon stared at the sky wishing he could believe that. In his experience, when dealing with his father, things rarely ended well for those attempting to oppose him. _You are not a child anymore,_ he reminded himself. The problem was, he'd spent too much time stuck in the mindset of his teenage self before the attack on Eltar had triggered his memories back. Some of that doubt and fear was still strongly lingering inside of his mind.

 _I wish my mother were here,_ he thought with a sigh. She'd always known how to make him have faith that things would be alright, right until the day he lost her. Of course, in a way, she _was_ with him again _._ Andie was his mother's reincarnation, but the girl was a teenager, and he could not place that burden on her. Andie could barely look at Zordon, and he didn't really know how to face her, either. It was a difficult situation to be in. At times, the girl felt remarkably like his mother, but he knew that in her current incarnation, she had lived a very difficult life. He could not ask her to help him when she was still so young and traumatized. She needed him to help her, not the other way around. Besides, he'd failed to protect his mother as a boy. He refused to let that happen again.

"Zordon… You went away again," Zedd said gently.

"I'm sorry," Zordon apologized. "I have a lot on my mind."

"I know. Do not worry, Brother. I will help in any way that I can."

"I know you will." Zordon replied. He looked back at the sky and took a deep breath before looking at Zedd. "I think I should contact my sister and explain what has happened. She needs to be aware of our situation."

"Indeed. And perhaps she should know that some of the Eltarians responsible for the attack on the Counsel she now runs are currently in Angel Grove working against your father… How do you feel about that, by the way?"

Zordon shrugged. "I believe their intentions to be good, for the time being. Anise will not have an issue with this. She believes people can change just as much as I do… However, if they step out of line, she will not hesitate to destroy them."

"She won't get the chance. Lady Eleanor's chomping at the bit to do it herself."

"Indeed, and I would expect no less of her. With her here, I do not expect them to try anything foolish."

"Then they may become our best allies."

"If nothing else, I am hoping they have some information on the Rebels who have chosen to work with my father. That could prove to be quite vital to us." He took another minute to try to relax a bit before deciding it was time to return inside. Zedd followed him silently, and Zordon forced himself to keep a calm and brave appearance as he returned to the Chosen.

 _ **HAYLEY**_

She was working on her latest project when she sensed something was wrong. "Hello?" She called our nervously. Hayley Ziktor was positive she was not alone, but very few people knew of this lab space.

"Connor? Ethan? Trent?" She asked. It could be any of them. The former Dino Thunder team members often checked on her. Kira had stopped by frequently over the years until she ended up going to Angel Grove to, as she put it, "fight the Golden Monkey." Kira had, indeed, faced off against Goldar, crossing that item off her bucket list. Thankfully, the rest of the local Rangers had rushed to her aid, and Sage had ultimately called her Zord, which was one of the few at the time that worked at night. Although Kira had initially only been visiting, she'd fallen for Dustin, and after everything that had happened, she'd decided to move to Angel Grove for good to stay close to Tommy. She still called Hayley routinely to check on her.

Since none of the boys answered, Hayley was becoming more nervous. It was unlikely that whoever had shown up was friendly, but she tried to stay calm. Panicking would get her nowhere. "Whoever you are, come out now, before I call the police," Hayley said firmly.

She heard laughter then… A woman's laugh, and it definitely didn't belong to Kira… "Who's there?" She demanded.

"Oh, Hayley… Don't you recognize me?" The woman asked, stepping out of the shadows.

Hayley gasped in shock at the blue-skinned woman with red eyes. "K… Katherine?" She asked in confusion.

"That's right. I thought we could spend some time together, just us girls!" Katherine grabbed Hayley around the throat with impossible strength and tossed her against the wall.

Hayley cried out in pain and struggled to get back on her feet. Katherine attacked again. "We're going to have _so_ much fun, Hayely!" She said cheerfully as she slammed Hayley against her desk.

Hayley grabbed onto the side of the desk, pulling herself back to her feet. She tried to think of a way to escape as Katherine flipped the desk over, sending papers, files, and everything else that had been on top of the desk scattering across the floor.

"This is what you get for fucking my husband, you slut!" Katherine shouted, bashing Hayley's head against the wall.

"I _never_ slept with Tommy!" Hayley protested. "We were just friends, Kat!" It was true. Tommy was her dearest friend, but they'd never done anything even remotely inappropriate with each other. Tommy was entirely devoted to Katherine, and Hayley wasn't romantically interested in the goofball anyway.

"A likely story!" Katherine slammed her against the wall again.

"You're insane!" Hayley cried out. Katherine began strangling her, cutting off her ability to speak as well as her ability to breathe. Hayley struggled to get air in her lungs, grabbing at Katherine's hands with her own and trying to dig her nails into them to force Katherine to let her go. Katherine merely tightened her grip on Hayley's throat. In a final attempt to free herself, Hayley tried to stomp on Katherine's foot, but with the lack of oxygen, she couldn't find the coordination or the strength to do it properly. Everything began to turn black, and Hayley finally fell unconscious.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **CONNER**_

Something was wrong… He could feel it. Conner had gone by Hayley's lab early in the morning after his usual run to check on her like he often did, but as soon as he opened the door, something felt off.

"Hayley?" He called cautiously. There was no response. He walked deeper into the lab and saw what a mess it was. There were obvious signs of a struggle. Conner quickly scanned the area to try to find Hayley. He was both relieved and terrified when he didn't find any sign of her.

"Shit… What the hell happened?" He wondered aloud. He pulled out his phone and called Ethan.

"Yo," Ethan answered.

"Ethan, have you heard from Hayley today?" Conner asked.

"No, why?"

"Get to her lab… I think something's happened to her."

"I'll be right there."

"Bring Trent."

"On it."

They hung up and Conner looked around for clues. Finding none, he dialed another number. "Damnit, Conner, it's not even seven in the morning. This had _better_ be important!" Kira snapped at him in a groggy voice.

"Kira… Hayley's missing," Conner said.

Kira was instantly awake. "What? What the hell do you _mean_ she's _missing?"_ She demanded.

"I showed up at the lab to check on her… You know she's always here by six or so in the morning… And I found the place trashed. There was definitely some kind of struggle. There's no sign of her."

"Damnit… Damnit, okay… Did you call the others yet?"

"Ethan and Trent are on their way here."

"Good. Find any leads you can and then get to Angel Grove. We'll find her."

"Are you gonna tell Doc O, or should I call him?"

"I've got him. Just hurry, okay? Stay together, and stay safe."

"Kira, who the fuck would take Hayley?"

"Katherine, obviously."

"I know she's back, and I know she's going after Rangers, but Hayley's not a Power Ranger. Why kidnap her?"

"She's a genius, for one… And she's close to Tommy, and Kat's a lunatic. Who knows what she was thinking? It doesn't really matter. The important thing is, she probably has her, and we need to get her back."

"Kira… She's been killing people, right?"

"Yeah, but… You didn't find a body, Conner. She's not dead. If she killed her, she'd have left her there."

"I hope you're right."

"I'm _always_ right."

Conner could tell Kira's cocky attitude was just her way of covering up how worried she actually was. "We'll find her, Kira. She'll be okay."

"Of course she will be. Hurry up and get here. I'll see you guys soon." Kira hung up on him.

Ethan and Trent arrived soon after. Trent looked exhausted, and it was clear Ethan had woken him up. Ethan was carrying a tray with four coffees. "Four?" Conner asked.

"I assume you called Kira. Either we're going to her or she's coming to us, right?" Ethan guessed.

"We're going to her."

"And if we show up there without an offering of caffeine at this hour, she'll use her Ptera Scream on us."

"Good point," Conner said with a laugh.

"This is bad…" Trent said, taking in the scene. "Do you think she's still alive?"

"There's a little blood, but not enough to have killed her," Ethan said as he looked around.

"Hayley's smart. If someone's taken her, I'm sure she'll do everything she can to survive… Kira thinks it was Katherine."

"Doctor Oliver's wife?" Ethan asked in surprise.

"Yeah… And I have to admit it makes sense."

"We'd better hurry up and get to Kira," Trent said.

"Agreed. Did you guys drive?"

"I did," Ethan said. "We can take my car."

"Okay. I'd run ahead, but Kira will kill me if I go off on my own right now," Conner said. "She won't admit it, but she's worried about us." He pulled his morpher out of the case Hayley kept them all locked in. He tossed Trent and Ethan theirs as well before pocketing the Black Morpher.

"Why take that? Tommy's got his own Ranger powers now from the Legacy team," Trent said.

"Yeah, but I don't want the morpher left here unguarded. It could fall into the wrong hands."

"He's right. It's better safe than sorry," Ethan agreed. "Come on, Guys. Let's go." They headed toward the car.

 _ **KIRA**_

She was _not_ looking forward to this. Dustin had woken up when she answered the phone, so he already knew what was going on. He stayed by her side. As Kira walked into the kitchen, she found Tommy eating breakfast. She noticed Jayden nearby and knew he'd done the cooking.

"Where's Micky?" She asked.

"Sleeping in," Tommy replied.

"You know, Doc O, he's got school today. You enrolled him, remember?"

"Shit, I forgot it starts for him today… I guess I should go wake him up."

"Dustin, go wake the kid. I need to talk to Doc O."

Dustin kissed her and whispered, "Good luck," before heading off to wake up Micky.

"What's going on?" Tommy asked. He stood up and started to clean off his plate.

Kira sighed. "Okay, there's no easy way to say this…" She began. "Conner, Ethan, and Trent are on their way here."

"Okay… They're always welcome, of course… Those boys and you are my family… But what happened?"

"Conner found Hayley's lab trashed this morning… She's missing, Doc O. There's no sign of her."

Tommy paled. "Are you… Are you sure?" He asked.

"I'm sorry. I know she's one of your best friends… We'll find her, Doc O. I promise."

Tommy nodded. He was shaking. Jayden seemed to catch this at the same time that Kira did, and he was at Tommy's side quickly. "Come on, Tommy… You need to sit down," Jayden said as he guided him toward the table.

"It's Kat," Tommy said numbly.

"We can't be sure of that," Jayden said practically.

"Trust me, it's her. Kat was always irrationally jealous of Hayley. She swore the two of us were having an affair."

Kira snorted. "Like Hayley would _ever_ hook up with you! You are _so_ not her type," she said.

"It didn't matter how much I told her that… Kat hated that I was so close to Hayley. She never liked me getting overly close to other women. She dealt with you, Kira, because she knew you were like a daughter to me and there could never be anything even remotely romantic between us, but with anyone else… She always thought the worst."

"If it's Katherine, where do you think she'd take Hayley?" Jayden asked.

"I don't know. She might take her back to Zell, but I can't guarantee that… It's more likely she'd want to hide her somewhere so she had her all to herself."

"Well, we're going to get her back. Don't worry, Tommy. You have our full support. I'll call in my team to help search for her."

Tommy smiled at him sadly. "Thank you, Jayden. That means a lot to me." He paused. "When are the boys coming?" He asked Kira.

"They should be on their way. I'll let you know as soon as I hear from them."

Dustin appeared with Micky a minute later. "Tense room," Micky mumbled through a yawn. "Did I miss something?"

"Nothing important," Tommy lied. "Eat. You need your strength for school."

Micky nodded. "What time is it? Liza should be coming by. She promised she'd meet me for my first day."

Kira frowned. "You didn't _tell_ him?" She demanded.

"Didn't tell me _what?"_ Micky asked, suddenly much more alert.

"Liza's not going to school today," Jayden provided. "She overdid it yesterday and collapsed. She's fine, but she needs a day to recover."

"Collapsed? Where is she? I need to go to her. How could you not tell me that, Tommy?" Micky demanded.

"I didn't want to stress you out. Liza's going to be fine," Tommy said.

"That's not your call to make. Liza is my best friend!"

"It _is_ my call to make. You're my son, Micky. I have to do what's best for you."

"And withholding the information that my friend wasn't okay is _good_ for me? Fuck that." Micky grabbed his breakfast, along with a napkin, and walked upstairs.

"Micky, come back here!" Tommy called.

"Doc O, let him go," Kira said. "He has a right to be upset. Let him get ready upstairs, and I'll have Dustin take him to see Liza before school."

"He'll be late."

"At least he'll calm down."

Tommy sighed. "I keep screwing up with him…"

"Yes, you do, but you'll figure it out, Doc O."

"What if it's too late? What if he ends up hating me? Or…?"

"He won't turn evil, Tommy," Jayden said firmly. "He's not Katie. Even I can see that."

Tommy nodded. "You're right… I guess I've just lost confidence in myself as a father," he admitted.

"Doc O… You're a goofball, but you aren't a bad father," Kira said. "What happened with Katie wasn't your fault. It was complicated, but it ultimately came down to Zell getting in her head. You couldn't have stopped that…"

"Thanks, Kira."

"But if you don't get your head out of your butt very soon, you're going to destroy any chance you've got of having a relationship with your son… So knock it off, grow the fuck up, and stop being so afraid of everything. You're Tommy Fucking Oliver. You're not some coward who sits with his tail between his legs too scared to make a move." She whacked him on the back of his head. "Better?"

He laughed. "Yeah, Kira… Better. Thank you. I needed to hear that."

"That's what I'm here for." She smiled at him before grabbing some breakfast. "Thanks for cooking, Jayden."

The doorbell rang. "The boys must be here," Tommy said. "I'll get the door." He walked off.

"Hey guys!" Ethan said cheerfully a minute later. He handed Kira a coffee.

Kira took a sip and smiled. "Perfect," she said.

"Sweet, food!" Trent said, seeing the table.

"I'm glad I made so much breakfast," Jayden said. "Eat up, guys. There's plenty here."

"Kira…" Conner said.

She stood up and wrapped her arms around him. "Hey, Asshole," she greeted him.

Conner held her for a minute. "Are you okay?" He asked her softly.

"You know me… I'm dealing," she replied just as softly. They let each other go.

"Tell me everything you know," Tommy said.

"Let the guys eat, Tommy," Dustin said. "They're going to need their strength. They can tell us what they know once they've had some food."

"He's right. They work better when well-fed," Kira said with a laugh.

"You make us sound like your pets or something," Ethan objected.

"Aren't you?" She teased him.

"Dude, you walked head-first into that," Conner said with a laugh.

"You should know better," Trent agreed.

Kira tried to relax as she joked around with her team, but it was hard not to remember the reality of why they were there. Hayley was missing. There was no telling how long Katherine would keep her alive before she got bored of playing with her and "disposed" of her.

 _No,_ Kira told herself firmly. _No one else is dying on my watch,_ especially _not Hayley. That's just_ not _an option!_ She shook her head. Somehow, she'd make sure Hayley made it out of this alive.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

 _ **MORA**_

She liked Katherine. Mora knew she was the only one besides Zell who did, but she had her reasons. For one, Katherine was nice to her, and not in the creepy way Zell was. She didn't try to hurt Mora, and she didn't seem to want much from her except the occasional monster. In exchange for that, Katherine gave her something that was worth any price... A mother.

They sat together now, playing with Cindy Sunshine and the other dolls Katherine had bought for her. As far as Katherine was concerned, a little girl needed more than one doll. They were having a tea party at Katherine's secret place. It was the safest place in the world, because not even Zell knew about it. That was what Mora liked about it the most. Katherine let her hide there whenever Mora was scared. It had become her sanctuary.

"Have some biscuits, Mora darling," Katherine said, passing her the tray of cookies.

"Thank you, Katherine," Mora replied sweetly. She took a bite. "These are _delicious!"_

"I used to bake all the time before..." Katherine stared at her feet.

"Have I upset you, Katherine? I'm sorry."

"No, no, darling... It's not you." Katherine pulled her into her lap and tickled her, causing Mora to giggle. If Zell had pulled her into his lap, she'd have been terrified, but she knew Katherine wouldn't hurt her.

"Why are you sad then?"

"I had a little girl once... But she never wanted to play dolls with me or have tea parties... As soon as Katie could crawl, she started chasing after her father. That was all she cared about, being his loyal little clone... It wasn't until my father got inside of her head that she admitted I was a part of her, too. I know love is weakness, and I know it's only because of the illusion my father created for me when I was born that I think I feel these sorts of emotions, but... I just wanted my daughter to love me, and be loyal to me. I wanted to play with her and teach her the things a mother should teach her daughter. I wasn't just a Goddamned incubator to be used to deliver Tommy's child... I was her _mother!"_

Mora wrapped her arms around Katherine's neck and kissed her cheek. "You're a _wonderful_ mother, Katherine. _I_ love you."

Katherine relaxed slightly and held Mora close. "I wish you were truly my daughter, Mora. You'd have been a million times better to raise than my ungrateful brat."

They snuggled for a bit before they went back to their tea party. Mora was the happiest she'd ever been in her life.

 _ **HAYLEY**_

She could hear voices as she began to come around. An Australian voice... _Katherine,_ she remembered as everything began coming back to her. The other voice was younger and spoke in a sing-song tone. _A child?_ Hayley wondered. She realized after a moment that it was far worse than a child... It was Mora, who was not actually a little girl.

 _Don't panic, Hayley,_ she told herself. _You're still alive. There must be a reason why she hasn't killed you yet. They don't know you're awake... Focus and see if you can overhear anything useful._ She might be in trouble, but Hayley was hardly a damsel in distress. She'd figure out a way to get out of this.

"Do you think your pet will be waking up anytime soon? Maybe she'll join us for tea!" Mora said cheerfully.

"Oh, she's awake," Katherine said. "I can hear her thinking." She began laughing. "Come join us for tea, Hayley." She grabbed Hayley and pulled her violently off of the cot she'd been on. Katherine tossed her into one of the chairs at the table and tied her to it before Hayley could even register what had just happened.

"So you read minds now?" Hayley asked, trying to buy herself some time.

"It's a gift I inherited from my father," Katherine said.

"Would you like some tea, Hayley?" Mora asked politely. It was rather creepy.

"No, thank you," Hayley replied, forcing herself to be equally polite. Mora looked disappointed.

"My _daughter_ wants you to have _tea,_ Hayley. Don't be _rude!"_ Katherine snapped.

"Your _daughter?"_ Hayley repeated.

"I like this one more than the last, so I've decided to adopt her."

"So... You _kidnapped_ me... To have tea with your daughter?" Hayley's head hurt.

"That wasn't the original plan, but it's what she wants to do right now, so that 's what we are going to do... Anything to make my darling girl smile. Now, _tell her_ you want some tea."

Hayley swallowed nervously. "Why yes, Mora. Tea would be lovely. Thank you," Hayley replied.

"Goody!" Mora exclaimed. She poured her a cup. "Sugar?"

"Sure..." Was this really happening? It was too bizarre. Clearly, Katherine was suffering some sort of psychotic break. Hayley kept her mind busy with thoughts of tea while she allowed herself to try to process everything right beneath the surface. She had a flexible mind, and she remembered Doctor K telling everyone that it was the sort of thing which would be an asset against Zell with his telepathy. Having two sets of thoughts meant one could be used to distract him. In theory, it should work on Katherine, too.

Mora set the tea down in front of Hayley. Realizing Hayley had no free hands, Mora giggled and raised the cup to Hayley's lips. Hayley had no choice but to sip the tea. Thankfully, it didn't appear to be poisoned. Hayley decided she'd just have to deal with this until she could figure out a way to escape.

 _ **DANA**_

She'd answered the phone with trembling hands when she realized it was Chad calling. Somehow, Dana had known something was wrong. It was the same feeling she'd had the night the Fire Chief had called to tell her that her husband, Carter, had been killed while fighting a fire. He'd saved several lives, but at the cost of his own. Dana had been strong then, for their son. She could be strong now, too... For her team.

It had fallen to Dana to lead Lightspeed Rescue after Carter died. That hardly mattered, since they were inactive... But then, Kira had called. Tommy was missing. Tommy, Carter's friend... Dana knew she had to help, but she'd refused to endanger the rest of the team. Only her brother, Ryan, had known the truth, and he insisted on going with her. By some miracle, both of them had survived, but countless other Rangers had lost their lives.

Chad had delivered the worst news possible... Somehow, Zell's people had gotten to him and Kelsey. With everything Dana had done to protect them, Kelsey had still died. Dana had only one choice. She left her son with her father, Captain Mitchell, and told him if he so much as _thought_ the words Red Ranger around the boy, she'd kill him herself. Dana was determined to protect her son from that world no matter what.

Now, Dana sat in a car with Ryan and Joel. She hadn't wanted to bring Joel into the path of danger, but Chad was already in Angel Grove, and Kelsey was dead... Joel deserved a chance to say goodbye. Besides, from what Kira had told her when Dana called her after talking to Chad, it seemed that Zell was going after Rangers who were isolated from everything. The rest of her team might actually be safer if they were all together.

They drove to Angel Grove in an awkward silence. No one was really sure what to say. Finally, Ryan spoke. "How many teams have been recalled to Angel Grove?" He asked.

"So far, they haven't technically recalled anyone... But the Astro Rangers are there, along with Karone... And what's left of Operation Overdrive is there," Dana replied softly. It horrified her that only two members of that team were still alive. The only team that had suffered that many losses was Wildforce. Merrick had been the only survivor of Wildforce. It was devastating to think of entire teams of Power Rangers being destroyed.

 _What if it happens to us?_ Dana thought. She shook her head. She refused to think like that. They wouldn't lose anyone else. They'd lost more than enough already.

"Angel Grove, straight ahead," Joel said. As soon as they parked, a monster greeted them. "Oh crap! Do we morph?" Joel asked.

"Relax, Joel," Dana said quickly. "This is Finster. He's our ally now."

"Ally? Dana, isn't he one of Rita's goons?"

"He defected to our side after Rita died," Ryan said. "He fought with us to save Tommy."

"Dana, it _is_ lovely to see you again," Finster said kindly. "I only wish it were under better circumstances." He gently took Dana's arm and led her inside of the building they'd reached.

"So he's the welcoming committee?" Joel asked.

"Not usually," Finster replied. "However, I grew rather fond of Dana during her time here. I insisted on being here in case she needed anything."

"Finster's very good with medicine," Dana explained. "We were on Team Medic together."

"Alright then... So, what is this place?" Joel asked.

"This is where you'll be staying. Kira rented the property for you. Chad's already settled in. Mack and Tyzonn are staying right next-door," Finster explained.

"You'd think Tommy would be the one taking care of things now that he's back," Ryan mumbled.

"He lost his daughter, Ryan. Even the _Great Tommy Oliver_ needs time to grieve something like that," Dana said.

"He should retire and name Kira as Number One then. She did an amazing job while he was missing."

"She did, but that doesn't mean she wants to take over."

Chad interrupted them then, sticking his head out. "Dana..." He said sadly.

"Oh, Chad..." Dana opened her arms to hug him.

"Let me get in on this," Joel said, joining the hug. Chad started crying. "It's okay, Man. Let it out."

Ryan didn't say anything, but he put a comforting hand on Chad's back, trying to soothe him. Dana wished she could ease her friend's pain.

 _Carter would have known what to do,_ she thought. She shook her head. She couldn't dwell on that. She needed to be strong for her team. She'd failed Kelsey, but she would be damned before she failed anyone else.

 _ **JOSH**_

He was happy to have the Stone Warriors in Angel Grove, and his reasons were entirely selfish. He needed Greg. Greg, Mena, and Nessa had been working with Josh for hours trying to decipher the coded Eltarian messages in his mother's journal. Every time they made sense of one bit, another fell apart, but Greg and Mena were truly brilliant, and just like Josh, they couldn't leave a puzzle unsolved. They'd actually made some progress.

"Look at this part here... ' _A great being of pure light shall arrive via vessel. This being is an energy the Great Evil can never absorb...'_ So, basically, there is some powerful energy Zell can't absorb," Greg said. "That would be handy to have on our side."

"Seriously," Nessa agreed. "What did _you_ find, Mena?"

Mena bit her lower lip, clearly deep in thought. "It appears to be a bit of rambling... Josh, if this means what I think it does, it is no wonder your mother became so cautious," she replied.

"What is it?" Josh asked.

"This passage reads... _'I was visited by the creature again. Its tiny talons and big, pointed ears are so distinct. I still see it clearly in my mind. And when we lock eyes, I see the secrets of the universe... I must be going mad, yet I know that I am not... Casey saw it, too. I could tell by the way she looked away from it. She is trying to insist I imagined it, but I saw the truth in her actions. I must understand... I have to see it again.'_ Who is Casey?"

"Casey was Sage and Thorn's mother... Tommy's sister," Josh said. He frowned. "What do you think this thing was?"

"It sounds like a _vizu._ They're like demonic spirits from Eltar... They can be summoned to induce visions of the future, but if you lock eyes with one, it can drive you mad."

"Nasty little things," Nessa chimed in. "They look like those _Gremlins_ from the movies. The evil ones, not the cute ones. You get the occasional one who's looking to help out by warning of danger to come, but it's rare."

"How would she have run into a _vizu_ if she was mortal?" Greg asked.

"Someone else could have summoned it," Nessa said with a shrug.

"Or it was one of the rare ones who shows up to help," Mena suggested.

"You think the little bugger took a stroll all the way to earth just to help some random mortal?" Nessa asked skeptically. "No offense, Josh."

"It's fine, you're right. That wouldn't make sense," Josh said.

"Unless your mother was close to something... Maybe the _vizu_ thought she was its only hope of getting the message out, by showing her visions," Mena said.

"You think this thing made my mother some sort of... Prophet?" Josh asked.

"It certainly seems that way," Greg said.

"Or it drove her mad..." Nessa said softly.

"My mother _wasn't_ crazy, Nessa," Josh said firmly.

"Look, Josh, I know this is hard for you... But you were so little when she passed. What if you just didn't understand?"

"Nessa..." Mena said in a warning tone.

"I'm sorry. Forget it," Nessa said quickly.

Josh sighed. "No... As a scientist, I must consider _every_ possibility... And it's at least possible that she was suffering from some sort of mental health issues... I hardly remember her. I have to be honest, for the sake of figuring this out."

"For the record, based on what we've decoded, I don't believe your mother was insane," Greg said kindly. "I do think she stumbled onto something she was never supposed to and it scared the heck out of her, but there's nothing here that seems clinically insane."

"Thank you, Greg," Josh said softly.

"If she saw a _vizu,_ she wouldn't have known how to banish it... That thing could still be running around for all we know," Nessa said.

"How _do_ you banish one?" Josh asked.

"Mirrors. If they see their reflection, they disappear," Mena said.

"They faint when they see how ugly they are," Nessa joked.

"They aren't _all_ ugly," Greg said.

"Wait, Greg... You've seen one?" Nessa asked in surprise.

"No, but Ash did... I think Sera worked with them a couple of times."

"Well, then, Sera kept some questionable company... Then again, the girl dated Zell, so..."

"Nessa, that was uncalled for," Mena pointed out.

"It _was_ kind of harsh," Greg said. He looked annoyed at Nessa, which wasn't normal for him. "Zell was a maniac… And none of us knew it. At least Darcy's _bad boy_ is one of the good guys. She's not making Sera's mistakes anymore… But her dating Zell wasn't her fault. It was complicated… And I don't really appreciate the way you treated it like a punch line."

Nessa looked appropriately chastised. "Sorry," she said. "I need to learn when to shut up sometimes."

"Here, here!" Mena said. "Maybe I need to start gluing your lips together when you're about to go off," she teased her. Then, Mena frowned at another passage. "I can't decode this for the life of me... It's different than the rest of her entries."

Nessa studied it over Mena's shoulder. "Wait... I know this... I mean, I can't translate it, because it's not one of the codes I learned, but I grew up around it... It's shorthand used by the Eltarian Guard. Lady Eleanor could probably translate it for us."

"No," Josh said. "Not yet... I'm not sure what it says, and Lady Eleanor's very by-the-book... I'll see if I can figure it out." He took the book from her, not sure why he was so afraid of going to Lady Eleanor. She was very intimidating, but it was more than that... He had a feeling this wasn't meant for her eyes, although he could not explain why. "We've done a lot today. Thanks, Guys... I should head home before training tonight. I'll see you guys there later."

Nessa, Mena, and Greg all studied him with confused eyes, but Josh kept walking. He could feel someone guiding him. He didn't really believe in ghosts, but he swore his mother was with him now. He had to follow his instincts until he figured this out. He decided to lock the book away for the night and go meet up with Taylor before training. He could work on this again in the morning.

 _ **ARES**_

He kept seeing it, no matter what he did. Ares had never been haunted by one vision like this before, but this one would not go away.

 _You should warn Caius,_ he thought. He knew he couldn't, though. If he told his brother what he kept seeing, Caius would try to prevent it, and that could lead to an even darker future.

He'd run a hundred different battle scenarios, but each one ended the same way. There was no changing the outcome, and the sooner Ares accepted that, the better.

Dora came into the house, interrupting his thoughts. She had three stray cats with her. "They refused to leave me," she said with a shrug. "Do you think Caius will mind if we adopt a few pets?"

"My little demigoddess," Ares said with an amused chuckle. "The cats shall always protect you. Caius knows this."

"You never really explained that to me."

"Your mother was a Goddess, my dear one. A beautiful Goddess with an affinity for felines. When you were born, she wished to stay with us, so she put part of her soul inside of a mortal body. That part of her was killed the day the car struck her body, but her soul lives on."

"You're still being vague. Why?"

"As you know, when he abducted you, Zell wished to use your power, Dora... The fact that you do not know your mother keeps him from accessing that power. You are safer this way."

"If you say so." Dora was clearly annoyed, but Ares knew she would never be safe once the truth came out. He had to protect her. At first, Zell had simply used her to control Ares. If he threatened her safety, Ares would not dare refuse to cooperate. Then, he'd thought it might be useful to have a demigoddess on his side to combat Merkhet when she inevitably betrayed him. Ultimately, Zell had sensed how powerful Dora truly was and he'd tried to violate her. Thankfully, Deker had interfered and allowed Ares and Dora to escape. It had been the first clue that Deker was not on Zell's side, but Deker hadn't actually revealed that fully until Dax nearly murdered Emily. He'd saved her and killed the traitor. As a result of helping the right side, Deker had been allowed to live again, along with his beloved wife. Ares was happy for him... Deker had more than earned his second chance.

"Dad? Hello? Are you listening to me?" Dora asked.

He snapped back to attention. "I'm sorry, Dora... I was distracted," he said.

"Obviously. Look, I'm going to go feed the cats. I'll see you later." She walked away. The cats followed her closely.

 _They sense she is in danger,_ Ares realized. That worried him. How bad were things about to get? No matter what, Ares had to protect her. He had to be prepared to sacrifice _anything_ to keep his family safe.

 _ **ANGIE**_

She was strangely cold. Something didn't feel right. Angie quickly checked her surroundings for any sign of trouble, but there was none. She wondered what it was she was sensing. She wished Kenny was with her, but he had gymnastics training and she was on her way to Ranger/Chosen training. He'd meet her there, but for now, Angie was alone.

 _Angeline..._ A voice called on the wind. Every nerve in Angie's body was suddenly on edge.

"Hey, look! It's the freak!" A different voice called out loud. Angie recognized this one.

 _Shit,_ she thought. She tried to keep walking, but an arm grabbed her.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Bitch," Jeremy said harshly. This creep had been in the group home with her and Josh a while back.

"Back off, Jeremy," Angie warned him. She could feel her magic sparking and had to ball her hands into fists to stop herself from zapping him into oblivion.

"Or what? You'll start another earthquake?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She did, of course. Jeremy had tried to attack her one night in the group home. Josh had bravely tried to protect her, but when Jeremy seriously hurt Josh, Angie had lost control and caused an Earthquake. She'd then used her magic to throw a table at Jeremy and pin him under a large sculpture. Angie had dragged Josh away and healed him. That was how Josh found out she had magic, although he still hadn't known she was the Sorceress, mortal enemy of the Power Rangers.

"You think you can take _all_ of us, Witch?" Another voice asked. Angie spun around. There were four other boys present, all kids who'd lived in the group home with her and Josh.

Her magic sparked again, as if to say it was ready to do this if she was. _Give in, Angeline,_ the voice she'd heard earlier taunted her. She realized it was Zell. _Your magic is too extraordinary to waste. Defend yourself! Show these fools what you are truly capable of! Give in to the darkness and fight!_

 _Never,_ Angeline thought back at him. She couldn't use her magic to hurt people. She'd done it before, when Merkhet was teaching her, but she didn't want to be that person anymore. Angie had never been evil… She'd just been a girl who desperately wanted her parents and was finally given the opportunity to meet them and possibly save them. She hadn't understood that she was merely a pawn in Merkhet's game until she'd realized that Josh was one of the Rangers. Even then, she had continued, but after Kenny saved her life, not knowing who she was, she'd realized she couldn't hurt them. They were good people, and it was wrong.

These kids weren't good people, but they were just a bunch of stupid kids, and using her magic to harm them was wrong. Angie knew that. No matter how tempting it was, she couldn't give in… She must _never_ give in to that darkness which still lived inside of her.

"Do you think the witch burns?" One of the boys asked.

"Let's see!" Jeremy said. He took something from one of the other boys. Angie didn't understand what she was seeing at first, until he began to spray her with the liquid inside of the canister. She could smell it then.

"Gas…" She whispered in horror.

"Burn the witch! Burn the witch! Burn the witch!" The boys began to chant.

Jeremy smirked at her before lighting a match. Angie tried to run, but he tossed the match at her before she could get very far, and suddenly, she felt the flames… She screamed in horror and agony, not sure what to do. She couldn't think straight as her flesh began to burn.

 _You can still stop this, Angeline,_ Zell taunted her. _Give in. Release the dark power lurking within you and turn these monsters to ash!_

"No!" Angie shouted aloud. She began coughing, choking on smoke, as the boys continued to laugh at her. She was screwed and she knew it, but she still refused to give in to what Zell wanted.

Suddenly, she heard other voices. "There! She's over there!" Caleb shouted.

"Get the _fuck_ away from my sister!" Taylor shouted. Angie felt him running past her toward the boys. Someone else ran by with him.

"Angie… Oh my God, Angie…" Josh said in horror.

"I've got her!" Brian shouted.

Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around her. Angie was too terrified to process what was happening, but she felt the flames die down rapidly until they went out. _Brian's fireproof,_ she remembered. _He must be the one holding you. You're going to be okay… Everything's going to be okay…_ She wished she could believe that, but she was still too terrified. They'd set her on fire… They'd _set her on fire!_ She was still just a freak, and they'd just tried to kill her…

Brian wrapped his jacket around her as she trembled violently. She realized her clothes had burned, although not completely, and Brian was trying to cover her up. She took slight comfort in that, but even the weight of the jacket hurt her flesh, which meant she was probably very badly burned.

"Angie… Angie, can you hear me?" Josh called to her gently.

She wanted to respond, but all she could do was whimper. Everything hurt. "She's really hurt…" Caleb said in horror. "Taylor! Taylor, Thorn, she needs help!"

Apparently, Thorn had been the other one to run at the boys. Angie was mildly surprised. Thorn was rarely violent. She knew Taylor had been kicking the shit out of the boys, but so had the person with him, judging from their cries of pain. Thorn stopped first, knocked out of his rage instantly by Caleb's cries for help.

"Taylor… Taylor, come on," Thorn said. "Enough."

"They have to _pay_!" Taylor shouted.

"Taylor, she's hurt."

"They _burned_ her, Thorn!"

"Taylor…" Thorn's voice was gentler now. "I know how hard that was for you to see, Taylor, but Angie's alive, and she needs your help… She needs a healer. You can still help her, Taylor."

Taylor was suddenly beside her, and Angie knew Thorn had gotten through to him. "Angie… Shit, Angie… Hang on," Taylor said urgently. He touched her, which hurt, so she pulled away as a reflex. "Angie, I have to touch you to heal you… Just stay with me, okay? You're going to be alright." Suddenly, she felt soothing energy surrounding her, and she knew he was trying to keep her calm so he could heal her.

The pain slowly stopped. Angie could feel her flesh returning to normal. She could breathe, at least until she started crying. She buried her face in Taylor's shoulder as he continued to heal her.

"It's alright, Angie. It's over. You're safe," Taylor promised her.

"I saw who it was, Angie," Josh said. "I'll make sure they pay for this."

"How? With Taylor healing her, there's no proof," Caleb pointed out softly.

"They're all unconscious, so they're not going anywhere," Thorn said. "Lieutenant Stone can help us make the charges stick. I'll call him."

"See, Angie? They're going to be arrested for this. It'll be okay now," Josh insisted.

Angie shook her head. "It's not okay," she said, her voice hoarse. It hurt to talk. Taylor seemed to realize this and shifted his focus to healing her throat.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you," Josh said softly. "But they'll never hurt you again."

"I… I want my mom," Angie managed to say.

"Of course," Caleb said. "I'll call her right now."

Angie nodded before she buried her face in Taylor's shoulder again. Brian knelt beside her, stroking her hair soothingly. "Thank you…" She whispered to him. "For saving me."

"You don't have to thank me," Brian said. He sounded haunted, and Angie knew why. Brian had survived a plane crash with his mother. Everyone else, including his mother, had caught on fire. Brian had wrapped his arms around Trini, saving her life, but it had taken her a while to fully recover. Everyone else had died, even though Brian had tried to save them. Many had been killed on impact, but others had burned alive before Brian could get to them. He never talked about it, but Angie could tell by the look in his eyes that he was seeing it all again now.

"Yes, I do," she said. She squeezed his hand. Then, she turned to look at Taylor. "I'm okay, Taylor. You can stop," she told him.

"Are you sure? Does anything else still hurt? I can-" Taylor began.

"You've done more than enough." She kissed his cheek before hugging him. She knew that Taylor was seeing a different sort of horror… Aisha, his mother, burning on her funeral pyre. His PTSD was still pretty bad when it came to that, and she was positive that's what had made his rage even worse.

"I'm okay," Taylor promised her.

"So am I… Thank you," she said.

"Angie, do you want me to call Kenny for you?" Josh asked.

"No… He's training. This will distract him, and he could get hurt… I just want to see my mom… I'll be fine."

Her mother appeared moments later, apparently having decided to use magic to transport herself after Caleb called her. "Oh, Angie…" She said sadly. She pulled Angie into her arms, holding her tightly and protectively.

"Mom…" Angie began sobbing hysterically, unable to hold anything back now that she was in her mother's arms.

"It's alright, my sweet girl… I'm here… You're safe," her mother promised.

Angie didn't say anything else as she continued to cry. She was shaking violently and she knew it. She tried to calm herself down, but it was impossible.

"Okay," a new voice said. "Start at the beginning, Kids."

"Lieutenant Stone," Thorn said. "These boys attacked Angie. They threw gasoline on her and set her on fire… I know there's no proof now because Taylor healed her, but if you look at her clothes, you can see it's the truth."

"I don't understand. Why would these boys attack her?" Lieutenant Stone asked.

"We lived in the group home with them," Josh explained. "They were always bullying her… And me. There was one night when Jeremy… That one over there… Tried to do more than just bully her. I stepped in to help, and I ended up getting hurt, and that's when Angie told me she had magic. She ended up saving me instead of the other way around."

"Okay, so there's a history here… But why would they resort to setting her on fire? That's a bit extreme."

"They were trying to burn the witch…" Angie whispered.

"Angie… I'm so sorry this happened to you, sweetheart. Can you tell me anything else?" His tone was gentle and kind as he patiently waited for Angie to reply.

"Zell wanted me to hurt them… He was in my head, talking to me, telling me to give in to the darkness and fight back… But I didn't, because… They're assholes, but they don't have magic. They're not the sort of monsters we're supposed to use our powers on… And I knew if I gave in, there'd be no turning back… I'd be the Sorceress again, and I'd be evil, and I… I don't want to be evil."

"You're not evil, Angie," her mother said soothingly. "Zell was trying to trick you. It is what he does. You did the right thing. I know you were terrified, but I am so proud of you for not giving in to the darkness."

"I'll make sure the boys face assault charges," Lieutenant Stone promised. "In fact, I'll try to go for attempted murder. I have more than a few people who owe me favors that will make it stick… Rita, take her home and take care of her. You're going to be okay now, Angie. I promise, they'll pay for what they did to you."

"Come along, my sweet girl," her mother said. She paused. "Thank you boys for protecting my daughter."

"Always," Josh said firmly.

Her mother led her away and Angie tried not to focus on anything except the comfort of feeling her beside her. She'd survived. The rest didn't matter. She'd find a way to come back from this. She always did.

 _ **LIEUTENANT STONE**_

He shook his head. This was going to be a tough one, but he'd get it done. These boys were dangerous, and they had to be locked away. He had never heard of anything this crazy happening in Angel Grove before, and that was saying something. Still, Lieutenant Stone excelled at dealing with strange and horrifying things.

After getting the last of the details from Josh, Caleb, Taylor, Thorn, and Brian, Lieutenant Stone sent them on their way. He called in some friends and made sure they were ready to arrest the boys as soon as they woke up.

As the boys came around, they panicked at the sight of the cops. "It was Jeremy's idea!" One of them said quickly. "He made us do it!"

"Made you do _what_ , exactly?" Lieutenant Stone asked.

"We set her on fire… He said it would be funny, because she was a witch and we should burn her… I didn't think it would go that far! It was a joke. We were just supposed to scare her!"

"That's all the proof we need," one of the officers said. "Thanks, Lieutenant Stone. We'll take it from here."

Lieutenant Stone nodded, knowing everything would be taken care of now. He walked away, ready to head back home. He didn't get very far before he felt eyes on him. He looked around nervously, but saw no one.

"Great. You're imagining things and jumping at shadows now," he said aloud. "Get it together, Jerome." He shook his head and began to walk again.

A few minutes later, a voice said, "Hello, Lieutenant Stone…"

He spun around and froze. "Katherine?" He asked in shock. He barely recognized her. The once beautiful Katherine Hillard now looked dead, with blue skin and red eyes that stared at him blankly. Gone were her lovely, sparkling blue eyes that had always seemed so sweet and innocent.

"It has been so long, Lieutenant… It's good to see you," Katherine said sweetly.

He was confused. What was happening? More importantly, what did she want from him? "What's this about?" He asked cautiously.

"I need your help, Lieutenant… You're the _only_ one who can help me… Please, Lieutenant… I'm frightened."

"Frightened?" He repeated. She seemed genuinely afraid.

"I'm trying to escape from him, Lieutenant Stone. I need your help. He's expecting me to ask the Power Rangers or the Chosen, but he'd never expect me to go to you. Please… He'll hurt me. He wants me to work for him. He's been forcing me to hurt people."

"You mean… The Rangers? You didn't do that on your own?"

"No. I tried to fight, but he has the power to control my mind… Please, if you can just get me away from him, I know I'll be able to break free… My niece can help me. She's very powerful. She can break his mind control."

"Sage… Yes, she can… You're right." He wanted to be skeptical, but what if she was telling the truth? If Katherine could still be saved, didn't he owe it to her to try to help? She'd been such a lovely girl as a teenager. He'd always been fond of her… What if he could help bring her back from the dark side? He was a retired Lieutenant. It was his job to help people… And stopping Katherine from hurting others was certainly a public service.

"Please, Lieutenant Stone… There isn't much time." Katherine stepped closer to him. "Will you help me?"

"Yes," he said. "Yes, Katherine, I'll help you. Tell me what you need me to do."

She smiled at him. "Thank you for being such a good man, Lieutenant," she said. "Now!" She shouted.

He was confused until he felt the wall of fire pop up behind him. He spun around to stare at the flames. Too late, Lieutenant Stone understood what was happening. Katherine laughed as she shoved him hard from behind, right into the flames.

It hurt, but not in the way that he'd expected. It didn't burn… Not exactly. Instead, it felt like everything that made him Lieutenant Jerome Stone was slowly being torn from inside of him, burning away until he was completely hollow inside. He wanted to fight, but he couldn't. Then, he didn't want to anymore. Instead, he felt… Free. Nothing bothered him anymore.

"What have you done to me?" He asked, more out of curiosity than anger.

"I opened your eyes to all that you can be, Lieutenant," Katherine replied sweetly. "Welcome to the winning team."

He liked the sound of that. He smiled and said, "What should I do first?"

"Your first assignment will come soon enough. For now, join me at our home base. You can rest and adjust to your new status, and my father will bless you with powers."

"Powers? But I'm mortal."

"You _were_ an ordinary mortal. Now, you're new and improved, and you will find out how people benefit from working for my father." She wrapped one of her arms around him. Lieutenant Stone's mind turned a bit fuzzy and he stopped questioning her as she led him away to start his new life.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **LIDO**_

His vision quest finally came to an end. Lido felt refreshed and stronger than ever. This lasted only a moment before he sensed something was wrong.

"Zuzu… What has happened?" Lido asked the phelinx. Zuzu began to show him everything he had missed… The attack on the Stone Warriors… The slaughter, as two of them were killed and the others barely survived…

"Andie…" Lido whispered. He closed his eyes, immediately seeing the events as she had witnessed them. When this stopped, he stood. "We must join them in Angel Grove, Zuzu," he determined. "Come."

Lido found one of the portals to Angel Grove and activated it. He crossed through and found himself looking at Amos. "About time you arrived," Amos said lightly. "Hungry? I have food." He motioned toward a decent amount of food.

"Where are they?" Lido asked.

"Safe, my friend. They are all safe," Amos promised. "Eat. You need your strength."

He knew Amos was right, so he took some of the food. "Come," Amos said once Lido had eaten. "I will bring you to where you are staying."

"I prefer the woods," Lido reminded him.

"I know, but this is a second option for when you need shelter." Amos led him to his car and they drove to the impressive house which sat behind a gate. There were woods behind it, so Lido already knew where he'd be spending most of his time.

"Lido! It is quite excellent to see you," Captain Smith greeted him.

"Captain Smith? I am surprised to see you here," Lido replied.

"You could stay with the Stone Warriors if you like… Andie would not mind… However, I thought you might be more comfortable here," Amos explained.

"This is a far cry from your usual residence," Lido said to Captain Smith. He didn't add that he preferred it to the penthouse. He hated having to ride in the elevator to get up to Captain Smith's home. He despised elevators in general. They were unnatural and cramped and made him feel trapped.

"Indeed it is, but it will do. We must keep a low profile during our time here. I do not believe Zell knows we have chosen to stand against him yet," Captain Smith said.

"Are you sure this is the path you wish to follow? It shall not be easy."

"I would never stand with Zell, but I previously chose not to stand against him either… However, now I know that I must… For my dear friend Raff, among other reasons."

Lido nodded. "I am honored, as always, to fight by your side, Captain Smith."

"Come inside, Lido. The others will be pleased to see you. Mystic, you are more than welcome to join us as well."

"No thank you, Captain Smith," Amos said. "I've got work to do. Another time perhaps." He smiled at Captain Smith respectfully before leaving.

Lido paused. "Actually, Captain Smith… Would it be possible for me to see the Stone Warriors before I come inside?" He asked.

"Certainly. I'll have B'Danna drive you to where they are staying… They have housed us on the edge of Angel Grove, so it's a bit of a distance," Captain Smith replied. He went into the house and sent B'Danna out.

"Hey, Lido," she greeted him casually. "Come along. It won't take long to get there."

After a few minutes, Lido had to ask her a question. "How are you doing, B'Danna? I was terribly sorry to hear about Draze."

B'Danna seemed surprised by the question. Her tough exterior wavered for just a moment before she pulled herself together. "He was a fool. The attack was meant for me… But that was Draze… Noble and heroic to the very end."

"It was how he would have wanted to perish… Saving you."

"I was the stronger of the two of us… I always protected him, ever since we were children." She shook her head. "I wish we had never agreed to participate in that attack, but Rupi was so insistent… It was what his sister wanted. Zydia _always_ wanted bloodshed. But Draze… He was too gentle to be in such an ambush. I should have insisted he remain at home. Captain Smith tried to tell him to stay behind, but he insisted on going with us. He wouldn't let me go without him." She sighed. "The fool…"

"He was a good soul, B'Danna."

"The very best," she agreed sadly. "We were surprised you didn't come, Lido."

"I was starting to break free at that point… I knew it was wrong, and I could not live with being at the center of that bloodbath."

"You are lucky you made that choice… You do not have to live with the horrors of that day."

Lido placed his hand on hers as she continued to drive. "I am sorry for all that you lost, B'Danna," he said sympathetically.

She nodded, not saying anything else as they arrived at a house that looked like every other. "Thank you for bringing me," he said.

"I'll wait nearby so I can drive you back later," she told him before driving off. She knew Lido would be able to track her down when he wanted to go back to the Rebels.

Andie was standing in the doorway before he even reached the steps to the porch. She raced toward him, flinging her arms around him. "Andie…" he said softly, holding her.

"I'm okay," she promised him. "We all are."

He nodded, releasing her. "I'm sorry I was not there… I would have been able to protect you all."

"We knew the vision quest was going to block you from knowing if we ran into trouble. It's not your fault. You needed to recharge."

"Hey, Lido," Darcy called from the doorway. "Come on in."

He nodded. "After you, Andie," he said.

Andie smiled at him before leading him into the house. Lido spotted the rest of the Stone Warriors, along with the Ranger Guard. Insu was there as well, and she smiled up at him.

"Lido… I'm glad you are here," she said.

"I am surprised to see you here, Insu," Lido replied. "I expected you to remain in Stone Hollow."

"I'm not fit to fight, but someone had to act as a guardian to the children. Allie used a Tulpa to convince the school to allow them to participate in a special exchange, taking classes at Angel Grove High School until the 'program' ends… This way, they don't miss any school. I'm playing chaperone."

"That is an excellent cover," Lido said with a nod. Although Logan and Nessa were legal adults, all of the Stone Warriors, Freddy, Allie, Mena, and Van were still underage. Van would be eighteen soon, but he wasn't there yet. Lido hadn't even considered that they legally needed to be in school. Luckily, Insu was smart, and she always thought of things like that.

Vida greeted him as she, Chip, and Ivan entered the large living room. "What's up, Lido?" she asked.

"Hello, Vida," he replied.

The doorbell rang and Lido spun around as Vida opened the door. "I made it!" Sprocket proclaimed proudly. The robot, who was the last remaining member of the Machine Empire, had been working for Zell until he kidnapped Andie, Darcy, and Greg. In true Daphne form, Andie had befriended the robot, who'd helped all three of them escape. Greg had taken Sprocket home with him to keep him safe after that, and now the robot acted as his companion and helper.

"Sprocket!" Greg cried with relief. "I was worried you wouldn't find us."

"We decided it was safer for Sprocket to sneak into Angel Grove on his own so Zell didn't notice him," Andie explained. She patted the robot's head affectionately.

As he watched everyone, Lido began to relax slightly. They'd been through a lot while he was away, but they were safe. That was all that mattered now.

 _ **LAUREN**_

There hadn't been much activity at Shiba House recently. Lauren maintained the property and continued her training, just in case of an emergency. She also waited patiently for any young Samurai who would need to be trained who might come her way. For the most part, Lauren enjoyed the peace and quiet of the sanctuary, but on occasion, she found it very lonely. With Mentor Ji gone, Shiba House just didn't feel the same anymore.

Lauren was meditating peacefully when she suddenly felt someone join her. "Hello, Lauren," he said.

"Mentor?" Lauren asked, surprised as she saw Mentor Ji standing beside her.

He smiled at her kindly. "It is good to see you, Lauren…" He embraced her.

"I miss you, Mentor… It's very nice to see you, but what made you show up?" She suspected there was more to his visit than just a social call.

"Lauren… You must pull the Green Samuraizer out of storage… It is time to pass it along to another."

Lauren stared at him in surprise. "But Ji… Mike's family doesn't have any other descendants."

"Actually, you are mistaken. I thought the same to be true, but Mike's father had a sister, Lauren… And that sister ran away from our way of life. She turned her back on all we stand for when she was a teenager… However, her son embodies the very qualities any Samurai needs to possess. The boy is simply unaware of his heritage."

"How do I find him?"

"That is quite simple. I will lead you to him. For now, simply retrieve the Samuraizer and prepare to travel."

"Of course, Mentor." With that, Lauren snapped out of her meditative state. She wasted no time heading to the sacred box where she had stored Mike's Samuraizer. She'd known this moment might come eventually, but she had not expected for it to be so soon. She hoped the team understood the necessity of embracing this new Samurai, whoever he was.

 _ **JAYDEN**_

The team had been searching for Hayley for hours. Finally, they must have gotten close, because several monsters attacked them. Jayden could spot the work of Mora easily. "Be prepared for anything, guys," Jayden warned the team. "We don't know what these monsters are capable of."

At first, they held their own well. The Samurai team was trained for a variety of situations, and this was no different. Soon, however, they were severely out-numbered. Kevin was the first to be knocked out of his morph. He flew through the air and landed at Jayden's feet. "Kevin!" Jayden cried. He knelt beside his fallen friend and examined him. He was still breathing. "Hang in there, Kev… Just stay with me," Jayden said soothingly. He covered him the best he could.

"Jayden!" Emily screamed as a monster grabbed her around the throat and bashed her against a tree. It repeated this action several times until Emily's morph failed.

Jayden's heart caught in his chest. Emily was hurt badly. He could tell that much, even at a distance. Blood was dripping down the side of her head. She was still fighting with everything she had, but he knew she wouldn't last long like that. "Antonio, stay with Kevin," Jayden said.

"You got it, Buddy," Antonio said, taking Jayden's place so Jayden could run to Emily's aid.

Emily managed to wiggle free from the monster's grasp, but someone else immediately grabbed her by the sides of her head. Jayden ran toward Emily and was suddenly staring into Katherine's dead eyes. She laughed at him. "Hello again, Jayden," she said in a mocking tone.

"Katherine… Let her go," he said harshly.

"Take one more step and I'll snap her neck," Katherine said.

"What do you want?" He demanded.

"Surrender, Jayden. Give up and let me bring you back with me, and I'll let this cute little blonde you're clearly so fond of go."

"Don't do it, Jayden!" Emily cried out.

Katherine twisted her head more, causing Emily to bite her lip to keep from crying out in pain. Jayden couldn't watch this anymore. "Don't hurt her," he said. "Let Emily go and I'll go with you."

"I don't believe you," Katherine said with a cruel laugh. "Come closer, Jayden… Come closer, and do _exactly_ what I say."

Jayden slowly approached her. Katherine smiled. "Good boy," she said. "Now give me a kiss. I want to know why my daughter was so infatuated with you."

Jayden felt sick. He stared at her in horror. "Are you serious?" He asked.

"Yes. Kiss me and I'll let her go, Pretty Boy."

Jayden struggled not to vomit at the thought of letting Katherine's lips touch his. He had to do this… He had to do anything he could to protect Emily. He took off his helmet and leaned closer to Katherine, trying to give her a quick kiss. Katherine laughed, tossed Emily aside violently, and pulled Jayden against her body, kissing him hard and forcing her tongue into his mouth. Jayden couldn't breathe.

"Jayden!" Emily screamed.

Katherine finally stopped kissing him. "You're a good kisser, Jayden," she said with a wicked laugh. "Katie was a fool to break up with you. Maybe I'll keep you as a pet."

"Never," Jayden spat at her.

"Have it your way…" Before he could see it coming, Katherine stabbed him in the chest with a dagger.

"Jayden! No!" Emily screamed. She tried to stand back up, but she was still losing blood from the monster attack. She fell back down.

"Jayden! Emily! Hang on!" Mia shouted. She came toward them.

Katherine laughed. Without even touching her, she flung Mia back several hundred feet. "Mia!" Antonio shouted. He stood and ran toward Katherine.

Katherine looked at Jayden as he lay on the grass bleeding out and asked, "That's your best friend, right? Since childhood? Let me give him some extra special treatment."

"Antonio… Run…" Jayden groaned.

Instead, Antonio continued to head toward Katherine. She pulled out some sort of weapon and blasted him with an energy beam. Antonio stopped dead in his tracks and fell to the ground. Jayden didn't know if he was alive or dead, and that terrified him much more than the possibility of his own imminent death.

They were losing. Kevin was unconscious and a sitting duck, Antonio might be dead, Emily was gravely wounded, and Mia was probably very hurt as well. He was losing too much blood to do anything. _Ji,_ he thought. _I am so sorry, Ji… I failed them. I failed them all._ He didn't know how he could do it, but Jayden knew he had to keep fighting until the very last breath left his body.

 _ **SPIKE**_

He was just walking through the woods when he heard trouble. "The Samurai are under attack," he realized as he saw the scene before him. The monsters appeared to be winning. He heard a groan of pain and followed the sound.

"Oh my God… Mia!" He cried as he spotted her lying on the grass. She was clearly injured, but she was starting to move.

"Spike…" Mia said weakly. She struggled to gather her strength. "I… I have to get back to them…" She'd been knocked out of her morph.

"You can't do this alone, Mia. There's too many of them, and everyone else looks pretty hurt."

"He's right," Lauren said.

Spike let out a startled scream as she manifested out of thin air. "How did you…?" He asked.

"Teleportation kanji," Lauren explained.

"Lauren! The entire team's down," Mia said. "Jayden's _really_ hurt… Can you access the Red Ranger powers?"

"Yes," Lauren said. "I have my father's morpher, and I will… But there's someone else here who can morph and help us."

"There is?"

"I don't have time to explain, but Mentor Ji appeared to me and told me there is a new Green Samurai."

"You mean… From Mike's family?" Mia asked in surprise.

"Yes. Only he doesn't know it yet…" Lauren sighed. She pulled out the Samuraizer and handed it to Spike.

"Wait… Huh?" Spike asked, staring at it.

"Your mother comes from Mike's family, Spike. He was your cousin… And now, the team needs your help," Lauren said urgently.

"You're kidding… No… There's no way _I'm_ … I mean… _Really?_ " He asked.

"Really."

Mia looked deep into his eyes. "You can do this, Spike. I _know_ you can. I believe in you, because you've always had the heart of a true Samurai," she told him.

He melted at her words. "Okay," he said with a determined nod. "I'll try."

Mia pulled out her Samuraizer and cried out, "Go, Go, Samurai!" She morphed. "Pink Samurai Ranger, Ready!"

"Go, Go, Samuarai!" Lauren echoed. She morphed into the Red Samurai Ranger. Her suit was different from Jayden's, matching the styles of the other female Rangers on the team. "Red Samurai Ranger, Ready!"

Spike took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing," he mumbled. "Go, Go, Samurai!" He cried. To his complete and total shock, it worked, and he morphed into the Green Samurai Ranger. "Holy cow, it _worked_!" He cried in excitement. "I mean… Um… Green Samurai Ranger, Ready!" The words felt odd to say, but right somehow.

"Great job, Spike! Now use all the training we've been giving you and help us," Mia said.

Spike nodded. "Let's go," Lauren said.

The three of them headed into battle. Kevin was starting to stir, and he was the first to spot them. His mouth dropped open in shock. "M-Mike?" He asked softly.

"Not exactly," Spike replied with a nervous laugh. Kevin stared at him in confusion as he recognized his voice.

"I'll explain later," Lauren promised. "Morph if you can."

"Of course, Lauren," Kevin said dutifully. "Go, Go, Samurai!" He morphed quickly. "Blue Samurai Ranger, Ready!" He declared and he joined them in battle.

"What? Impossible! Where are all of you coming from?" Katherine demanded. She stared at Spike. "Didn't my brat of a daughter already kill you?" She asked in confusion.

The battle began, and Spike didn't have time to think. That was a good thing, because it forced him to react to what happened without trying to come up with a plan. He might not know much, but he had learned to fight thanks to the Samurai team, and he was able to do some damage against the monsters. Everyone else had kanji symbol powers, and Spike tried to remember what Mike's family element had been. _He had the power of the forest or something, right?_ He thought. That might be pretty cool, but for now, he had no idea how to access that. He'd have to rely on his physical skills.

"No! This isn't the way it was supposed to happen, damnit!" Katherine cursed. As Lauren, Mia, Kevin, and Spike managed to take out the last of the monsters, she cursed again and vanished before their eyes.

"Is it over? Did we win?" Spike asked.

"For now," Lauren said. She dropped her morph and ran to Jayden's side.

"L-Lauren?" He groaned out. He was paler than Spike had ever seen him. It was a miracle he was still alive.

"I'm here, Little Brother," she said soothingly. She used a kanji on him.

"Is that the healing one?" Spike asked.

"One of the strongest, yes," Mia said. "He should be okay… I think she got to him just in time. You did great, Spike. I'm so proud of you."

"Spike… I am… Confused," Kevin said. He dropped his morph and Spike could see he was frowning.

"Lauren said Mentor Ji told her Spike descends from Mike's family," Mia explained.

Kevin relaxed slightly. "So he _does_ have Samurai blood then?"

"Yes, this isn't an Antonio situation," Mia promised.

"My mom ran off when I was a kid… I never really knew her," Spike said. "I guess this explains why I always felt like I was meant to be a Samurai warrior, though." He laughed awkwardly.

Mia knelt over Emily, casting the healing kanji on her. Emily blinked several times before sitting up slowly. She stared at Spike, who was still morphed, and paled significantly. She promptly fainted.

"Oh, um… Sorry," Spike mumbled. "I guess I should have dropped the morph, but I sort of don't know how to do that."

"You'll learn, Buddy," Antonio said with a groan as he sat up. "It takes some practice… So, clearly, I missed something, but welcome to the team I guess?" He smiled at Spike in the way that only Antonio could and Spike felt slightly better.

Jayden sat up slowly. He looked at Spike and frowned. "Who are you?" He demanded.

"Just relax and the morph will go away," Mia coaxed Spike gently.

Spike took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and relaxed. The morph dropped. "Spike?" Jayden asked in surprise. "I… _How?_ How is this possible?" He looked at his sister.

"Spike is Mike's cousin, Jayden," Lauren explained patiently. "Ji told me it was time to give him the Samuraizer… And it's lucky I did. You guys were in serious trouble."

Jayden sighed. "Okay," he said. "Thank you for helping, Spike… As for the rest… We'll get this sorted out later, when my head doesn't hurt so much."

"You lost a lot of blood, Jay," Antonio said. "You need to take some time to recover."

"And I will… As soon as I take care of Emily." Jayden sat beside her, pulling her head into his lap and gently stroking her hair. "Em… Wake up, Emily."

Emily slowly opened her eyes. "Mike…" She whispered. "I… I thought I saw Mike."

Spike sighed. "I'm sorry, Emily," he said softly.

"It wasn't Mike, Emily… Apparently, his family line didn't end with him after all," Jayden said gently.

"But… I don't understand," Emily said.

"Spike is the Green Samurai now, Em… I know it's a lot to adjust to, but-"

" _Spike?_ " Emily's eyes went wide. She was shaking. "I… I'm tired. Can we go home?"

"Of course. I'll take you," Jayden said. He helped her get to her feet.

"The rest of us should go get something to eat," Antonio suggested. "There's no better way to bond than over food."

Jayden nodded at him gratefully, obviously relieved he didn't need to make an excuse to be alone with Emily while she tried to process what had happened. "Great idea," Mia agreed. "A celebratory meal to welcome Spike to the team." She smiled at him sweetly.

Spike melted all over again. "Thanks, guys," he said seriously. "I promise, I'll do everything I can to prove I'm worthy of this."

"You stepped up today, with no warning and no time to adjust," Jayden said seriously. "You _already_ proved yourself, Spike."

Coming from Jayden, that meant the world. Spike smiled at him gratefully. Jayden led Emily away. "Come on, Buddy," Antonio said cheerfully. "I'm paying." He led the way out of the woods.

Mia linked her arm through Spike's and leaned on him as they walked. "Spike… If anyone had to join the team and take up Mike's role, I'm really glad that it's you," she said.

"You are?" Spike asked in surprise.

"You already feel like part of the team… Now it's just official. I don't think we could have accepted an outsider."

"He is still an outsider," Kevin said. He turned to Spike. "I mean no offense, Spike… You were simply not raised like the rest of us. However, if the Samurai line is truly in your blood, it is our duty to help you reach your full potential. Therefore, I welcome you with open arms, and offer my assistance in any area you need to work on."

"I'll help you with the kanji," Mia offered.

He smiled at her. "Thanks, Mia… You always make it easier to pick things up," he said. She kissed his cheek and he blushed. They arrived at the restaurant Antonio had selected and sat down together to eat dinner as a team… Spike would need to get used to that, but he liked the idea. He couldn't wait to tell Bulk that he'd finally done it… He'd _finally_ become a Samurai.

 _I wish my dad could have seen this,_ he thought sadly. He hoped that, wherever his father was, he knew what had happened and was proud of him.

 _ **EMILY**_

She hadn't really known what to say as she and Jayden walked back to the house most of the Samurai lived in. They walked in a comfortable silence, because Jayden never pushed Emily to talk when she didn't want to.

He walked her into the house and they sat down on the couch. "Jayden… It's not that I don't like Spike…" She finally began.

"I know, Em," Jayden said.

"It's just… It's a shock, you know? And… I never thought we'd… I mean… Am I just supposed to accept that we're replacing Mike?"

"We aren't _replacing_ Mike, Emily. _No one_ could _ever_ replace Mike. He was one of a kind… But we are passing on his legacy… Because that is what the Samurai do."

"I just… I miss him, Jay… I miss him _so_ much…" She felt tears in her eyes.

"I know. We all do, Emily." Jayden held her. Emily buried her face in his chest, sobbing hysterically. She hated falling apart like that, but Jayden never made her feel weak or pathetic for being so emotional, especially when it came to things connected to Mike. She knew it was safe to let her emotions out around him.

Eventually, she passed out in Jayden's arms. The next thing she knew, she was dreaming. _She found herself in a white room. "Hey, Beautiful," a voice said._

 _Emily spun around. "Mike?" She asked._

" _Who else?" He replied. He opened up his arms and Emily ran into them. He held her tightly and she allowed herself to stay in his comforting embrace for a while._

" _I'm so sorry, Mike… I'm sorry I never told you… But I love you… I love you so much…"_

" _I already knew that, Em," he promised her._

" _You did?"_

" _Of course I did. Just because I said it and you didn't doesn't mean I didn't know." He kissed her forehead. The sensation filled Emily with love in her heart._

" _I miss you," she whispered._

" _I miss you, too… But I'm always with you, Emily. I'll never completely leave you." He paused, turning serious. "I need you to help him, Em."_

" _What?"_

" _I need you to help my cousin… Spike's going to make a great Samurai one day, but he needs a lot of work, just like I did when I started on the team. I'm counting on you to help him."_

" _But Mike-"_

" _This is the way it was meant to be, Em. It's Spike's time now… I never would have gotten as far as I did without your guidance and support… Please do that for him, too. He needs you, just like I did."_

 _Emily sighed. "Of course I'll help him," she promised. "It's not going to be easy… Seeing a Green Samurai again makes me miss you so much… But I'll do everything I can to help him succeed."_

"That's _the Emily I know and love." Mike hugged her tighter. "Stay strong, Emily… And please, find a way to be happy."_

" _It's hard without you…"_

" _I know, but the world needs your smile, Em. When you're ready, don't be afraid to embrace whatever… or_ whoever _… makes you happy." He kissed her._

" _You're the only one I want, Mike."_

" _For now, and I appreciate that… But one day, your heart will heal, Emily. And I want that for you, okay? You're too beautiful to be sad." He kissed her again before saying, "I love you, Emily."_

" _I love you, too," she whispered._

The dream faded away as Emily awoke. She blinked in confusion before realizing she was in her bed. Someone had tucked her in under the covers. Emily looked up and realized Jayden had fallen asleep in a chair next to her bed. He'd obviously been watching over her to make sure she didn't have any nightmares, but considering how injured he'd been before Lauren healed him, exhaustion had caused him to pass out.

Emily stood up carefully and pulled an extra blanket out from her closet. She walked over to Jayden and covered him. He shifted peacefully in his sleep, snuggling into the blanket. She smiled before crawling back into her bed and slipping under her covers. She felt at peace after that as she drifted back to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

 _ **SAGE**_

To say that the next training session was awkward was an understatement. Angie was there, and she was trying to act like everything was fine, but Sage could feel how terrified she still was. The attack had seriously knocked her self-esteem back, and she wasn't her usual fierce self. That was dangerous, because Zell would sense her weakness and use it to destroy her, and as they knew too well, if even one of the Chosen perished, they would fail.

On top of Angie's fragile state, Spike was more awkward then he'd been in ages. He was trying so hard to prove he was worthy of inheriting his family's legacy, but he was clearly terrified he'd never be good enough. Lauren stayed by his side, training him herself with a level of patience Sage wasn't sure any of the others could possess. Jayden was normally able to turn off his emotions to do whatever must be done, but Sage could tell this unexpected development had thrown him. He needed time. In addition to that, the Stone Warriors and the Ranger Guard were there to train with the more seasoned Rangers, and the remaining members of Lightspeed Rescue and Operation Overdrive had decided to resume training, too.

Micky was staying close to Liza. Zedd watched the two of them. Sage walked over to him. "Jealous?" Sage asked softly.

Zedd chuckled lightly. "Of Micky? Certainly not," he replied.

"Hey, don't count my cousin out," Sage said with a laugh. "He's pretty charming when he wants to be."

"Liza has no interest in him. We have a connection he cannot touch. And even if she _were_ interested, Micky is not."

"Are you sure? Micky's pretty protective of her."

"As a brother. Micky has no interest in... " Zedd hesitated.

"It's okay. I picked up on that, too."

"I suspect he fights very hard to keep this secret."

"There _are_ no secrets when you're around a Shaman and an incubus. Besides, he's got to know I wouldn't care. I mean, my twin brother is-"

Sage dropped the subject when Micky and Liza approached them. Liza wrapped her arms around Zedd's neck and her legs around his hips before she kissed him. Micky laughed and said, "Get a _room,_ Liza! There are impressionable children here!"

"That had _better_ not be a dig at my age!" Tammy snapped from nearby. She kicked Ollie in the chest to emphasize her point.

"Ouch! Jeez, Tammy, bring it down a notch or twelve, okay?" Ollie asked.

"We don't have _time_ to take this slow, Oliver!" Tammy replied in frustration. "Suck it up and try to hit me back, or find me someone who will."

Zedd and Sage exchanged a glance. "I've got this," Sage said. She walked toward Tammy and said, "Come on. I'll work with you."

Tammy shrugged and followed Sage to a corner where no one else was. They began to spar. Sage was able to keep up with Tammy without actually hurting her. After several minutes of Tammy not slowing down, Sage asked, "What's this _really_ about, Tammy?"

"We need to be better than our best, Sage," Tammy replied, throwing a punch that Sage countered. "And we'll never get there at the rate we're going! Zell isn't waiting! He's _here,_ and him and his people are _killing_ Power Rangers... Our friends... Our _family..._ I _refuse_ to let it happen again!" She threw a kick that nearly connected, but Sage was able to dodge it at the last second.

"Tammy... You're good. You've gotten _so_ much better."

"It doesn't _matter._ It's not enough, Sage! I watched another Power Ranger _die_ because I couldn't save her! I can't keep letting people get killed for me! I refuse!"

Tammy's hits were flying wildly now. Sage finally threw her body at Tammy, wrapping her arms tight around her until the girl couldn't fight anymore. She kept her like that until Tammy finally stopped struggling and her body went limp. She began sobbing in Sage's arms.

"It's okay, Tammy... Let this out," Sage said soothingly, guiding her outside so no one would see her crying.

"I couldn't save her... Just like I couldn't save my dad..." Tammy whispered.

"None of that is your fault, Tammy. You're one of the toughest people I've ever met. They _want_ you to feel weak. Don't give in to that." Sage loosened her grip.

Tammy nodded. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. We _all_ snap sometimes. You just need to take a deep breath and remember you're strong, and you are _not_ in this alone."

Tammy hugged Sage. "Thanks..." She said softly.

"Anytime. And if you want, I'll give you some extra training. You have the skills, but it wouldn't hurt to perfect them. There's always room to improve."

"I'd like that."

"Then it's a date. We can figure out a schedule later."

Tammy nodded. Sage led her back inside and sent her to the food station to recharge a bit. "That was very kind of you," a voice said behind her.

"Caius?" Sage asked, spinning around. "I didn't expect to see you here today."

"We are at war," Caius replied sadly. "The children are not the only ones who need to prepare." He took his sword and executed a few impressive moves. Caius moved very smoothly with his sword, almost as if it were a natural extension of his arm.

"I don't think you need much practice," Sage said as she admired his skill. "But since you're here... Would you like a partner?"

"I was going to ask Zedd, however Liza appears to have him occupied," Caius replied with a slight smile. "I would be honored to train with you, Sage."

Sage picked up a sword and began to spar with Caius. It was almost like a dance, and she found that they were able to match each other perfectly, move for move. Sage was enjoying herself for the first time in ages. Something about connecting with Caius on this level felt natural. She stopped holding back and just let herself get lost in the movements.

It wasn't until they stopped at least twenty minutes later that Sage realized everyone had stopped to watch them. Dustin was the first to break the awkward silence. He started applauding and cheering, which made the others join in.

"Holy shit, that was _amazing,"_ Pierce said.

"For real! You guys have been holding out on us," Zeke added.

"Your skill level surpassed most Samurai I know," Lauren said with respect in her eyes. "How long have you two been training together?"

"We haven't," Sage replied. "This is the first real sparring session we've had."

"That was badass!" Kira said. "You two need to do that more often, because I think we could _all_ learn from you."

"You two make sword play look _sexy_ ," Liza said with a laugh. She leaned against Zedd again, who held her close automatically.

"You're both _really_ good!" Brian said. "I wish _I_ was that good. I mean, I _thought_ I was, but watching _that_ display..."

Caius looked a bit embarrassed by all of the attention. "Well, Sage is an excellent partner," he said softly.

"And Caius has been using a sword for several millennia," Sage added. "You're really good with your sword, Brian."

"Thanks, but now I see I can get even better. Caius, can we train one-on-one sometime?"

"Of course, Brian. I trained Quang Bu to use that sword, and it is my duty to train you as well. I know you are _every_ bit the warrior Quin was," Caius replied.

Brian beamed with pride. "Okay, enough. Back to work," Jayden told everyone. They dutifully returned to training.

"Would you like to get some air?" Sage asked Caius.

"That sounds excellent," Caius agreed. They walked outside together and ended up staring up at the sky. Sage was standing very close to Caius, and she realized she liked that...

"Beautiful..." Caius whispered.

"What?" Sage asked, startled out of her own thoughts.

"The stars," Caius explained. "No matter what happens, the stars still shine. Even when one burns out, we see the memory of it... The night sky has always given me hope. I became especially interested in it when I lived among the Mystics. The quiet beauty of the stars was soothing. We would lie on the grass, watching the stars for hours, and it filled me with such peace."

"We?"

"Rose and I," Caius replied sadly. He looked away from the stars and looked into her eyes instead.

"Did you tire of watching them?" Sage asked.

"Not at all... I can still see them, reflecting in your eyes." The way he said that sent a chill through Sage.

 _Relax,_ she scolded herself. _This is Caius. He has a way with words, but he didn't mean anything by that._

She was forced to stop wondering if she was imagining things when Caleb approached them. "Sorry to interrupt..." Caleb said a bit awkwardly. His eyes were wide and Sage wondered if he'd picked something up.

 _There_ isn't _anything to pick up,_ Sage reminded herself.

"Nonsense, Caleb," Caius said, turning to his son. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm not sure," Caleb admitted. "Dora left me a really cryptic voicemail... Something about fifty or more cats surrounding her and not letting her move... I tried to call her back, but she didn't answer."

Caius stiffened. "That does not sound good," he said with a frown. Sage could tell his mind was racing, trying to work out exactly what might be going on with his niece. Caius was brilliant, but without more information, he could only get so far. "I'll see if I can find her," he concluded, clearly worried for her safety.

"I'm coming with you," Caleb said firmly.

"Caleb, we don't yet know what we are walking into-"

"She's my _cousin,_ and she called _me_ for help. I'm going with you," Caleb insisted.

"I'll come," Thorn said from the doorway.

"Thorn, you should keep training... It might be nothing," Caleb said, although it was clear he didn't believe that.

"It's _never_ nothing, and it's better safe than sorry with everything Aunt Kat's been pulling. Zell had Dora once. He might go after her again. I'm going with you, Caleb."

"We _both_ are," Sage decided. "Just in case."

"I suppose it is decided then," Caius said. "Come. We must not waste any more time." He led the way as they began to search for Dora.

 _ **DORA**_

She hadn't been surprised when the first five or six cats found their way to her. Dora attracted cats everywhere she went. However, the further she walked, the more cats had shown up, until a literal kitty army surrounded her, preventing her from moving forward.

"What the fuck is going on?" Dora had wondered aloud. The protective body language of the cats had told her she was in danger, and her own instincts were screaming at her to run, but in her heart, she knew it was too late for that. She'd called Caleb hoping he might have had a vision or something, but she didn't want to worry him, so upon realizing he knew nothing, she'd downplayed how scared she was. After all, if she were really in danger, wouldn't at least _one_ of the four seers in her family have seen _something?_

Now, however, she understood why the cats had arrived. "Hello, Pandora," a woman's voice greeted her.

Zell had been sending his minions to do his dirty work. With the use of her proper name, Dora knew this was one of his people. The question was, _which_ one?

"It's _Dora,"_ she snapped. "And who the fuck are _you?"_

"Tsk, tsk... Such a mouth," the woman replied, stepping out of the shadows. "My name is Katherine."

 _Shit! Shit, shit, shit!_ Dora thought. "I'd say it's nice to meet you, but it's not," Dora replied, trying to mask her fear. She knew entirely too well what Katherine was capable of. _Caleb knows you're in trouble... He'll come,_ she told herself. _And hopefully, he'll bring in the cavalry._

"They won't find you in time," Katherine said, apparently reading her thoughts.

Using telekinesis, Katherine moved the cats away from Dora. They went flying, and Dora screamed, "No!" Suddenly, a wind came out of nowhere and created a cushion, catching the cats and gently lowering them to the ground. None of them seemed to be hurt.

" _Very_ nice," Katherine said. "I wasn't aware you could do that."

"What are you _talking_ about? _I_ didn't do anything," Dora said, genuinely confused.

"You didn't know you have powers?"

"I'm a _Grant._ I see dead people and I have visions. I can't do whatever _that_ was."

Katherine laughed coldly. "Oh, my dear little Demigoddess... You have no idea _what_ you can do. This should be interesting."

Dora realized the psychotic bitch was going to try to provoke her into using whatever powers she believed that she possessed. She braced herself for an attack. Katherine manifested throwing knives seemingly out of nowhere. She began throwing them at Dora. Although Dora's reflexes were strong, one of the knives still hit her in the chest. She cried out in pain but didn't try to pull it out, knowing she'd bleed out faster if she did. She was pretty sure the knife had just barely missed her heart, but she knew she had a good chance of surviving if she got help quickly enough.

"Fight back, Little Demigoddess!" Katherine mocked her.

Dora tried to think up a way to defend herself, but she was really injured, and if the knife shifted the wrong way, it would hit her heart. She had to be careful. She was pretty sure she was screwed as Katherine mocked her again before pulling out a sword and lunging at her. That was when something unexpected happened.

Katherine was ripped off of her. Someone stood, cloaked by the darkness. Strange but soothing music began playing from nearby. "A battle against an unarmed child is _hardly_ honorable," a voice said firmly. "Now, you shall face _me_ instead."

Dora knew that voice, but she couldn't believe her ears. " _Deker?"_ She asked softly. She'd honestly assumed that after Casey granted the troubled former Nighlok and his wife a second chance at life, they'd have fled Angel Grove for a place where the monsters would never find them.

"How _dare_ you interfere, you _traitor?"_ Katherine demanded. Her focus was entirely on Deker now. He'd originally been resurrected by Zell, and had been his most trusted ally. Zell never trusted _anyone_ fully, but he'd treated Deker as his ace in the hole and used him to spy on his less-trusted minions, like Merkhet. Deker and Mora had been the only two bad guys Zell had kept close to him besides her father, living in the same residence. While Mora had been fiercely loyal, Deker had been biding his time trying to stop Zell from the inside. He'd helped Dora and her father escape when he caught Zell trying to violate her, telling them to attack him and run. He hadn't actually blown his cover until he saved Emily's life. Zell had been blindsided by the betrayal, and Dora could tell from the way Katherine reacted to Deker that he was still furious about it.

"How dare _you_ betray the Power Rangers?" Deker retorted. "You have _no_ honor, Katherine. And _that_ I _will not_ stand for!" He began to duel her with his sword. After about two minutes, Katherine vanished, apparently realizing that Deker was far better with a sword than she was.

Deker rushed to kneel at Dora's side. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Super," Dora replied dryly.

"Dahlia... Can you help her?" Deker asked.

A woman stepped out of the trees holding a musical instrument. _That explains the music I heard,_ Dora realized. She was relieved she hadn't imagined it.

"This is my wife, Dahlia," Deker explained.

Dahlia nodded. "Since my return to this world, I have studied magic," she told Dora. "I have been granted the ability to heal through my music. Stay very still, child."

"Dora," Dora provided. "And okay. Thanks."

Suddenly, her father appeared, looking ready to slaughter whoever stood near Dora. He hesitated when he recognized Deker.

"Deker? Is that you?" He asked.

"Indeed. Hello, Ares," Deker replied.

"I am rather relieved to see you here," her father said. "Dora, how badly are you hurt?"

"I took a throwing knife to the chest, but I'll survive," Dora replied.

Dahlia looked at Deker. "It is time to pull out the knife," she said.

Deker removed the knife slowly. It hurt, but Dora could feel herself healing as Dahlia continued to play the haunting melody. Soon, it felt like nothing had happened. "Incredible..." Her father said softly.

"That's better," Dora said lightly. "Thanks. Really."

"Of course," Dahlia replied.

"I grew a bit fond of you during the time Zell held you prisoner," Deker added. "I vow to protect you whenever possible. You have my sacred oath." He bowed his head to her.

"Thank you for protecting my daughter, my friend," her father said. He shook Deker's hand.

"Dahlia and I must leave now," Deker said. "Be safe." He guided Dahlia away.

"That was crazy unexpected," Dora said.

"Deker is a man of honor," her father replied. "He will _always_ protect the innocent, especially now that he is no longer part Nighlok."

"I didn't think him and Dahlia stuck around."

"Until Zell is defeated, I don't think Deker can bring himself to leave. He is exceptionally good at lurking without being seen. He's probably been keeping an eye on you."

Dora wasn't sure how to feel about that, but today, it had come in handy. She decided not to question having Deker as a bodyguard. After all, she owed him a lot. He'd not only saved her from Zell's perversions, but he'd freed her father, too. That was more than she could ever repay.

 _ **CALEB**_

They never made it to Dora. Instead, they found themselves being ambushed by an army of solid gold soldiers. "The Alchemist..." Caleb whispered.

"And probably the Warlock, too," Thorn added.

"Caleb, do you have your sword?" Caius asked.

"Yeah," Caleb replied. "I thought we might need weapons to get to Dora."

"Good. Everyone, stay close to each other. Sage, Thorn, you may wish to morph. Caleb, I suggest calling forth the Chosen armor."

"It's Morphin' Time!" Sage said immediately. "Dragonzord!"

"Mastadon!" Thorn chimed in.

Caleb closed his eyes and focused. The Chosen did not have to call their armor aloud. It appeared as soon as they called it in their minds. "Blue looks so good on you," Thorn said lightly.

Caleb smiled. "Black's sexier," he replied. He knew Thorn was grinning beneath his helmet.

"Let's _do_ this," Sage said, clearly ready for a fight.

Caleb and Thorn naturally worked together, which left Sage to pair off with Caius. They were even more impressive in a real fight, especially since Caius had no armor but still fought like the fiercest of warriors. Caleb hadn't expected that. It was strange to see him in that setting. Caius was generally soft-spoken, gentle, and kind. Of course, it was also kind of cool to know his biological father could turn into such a warrior.

"Look out!" Thorn shouted to Caleb as a golden sword came _way_ too close to his neck. Thorn knocked Caleb out of the way just in time.

"Are you guys okay?" Sage called.

"We're good," Thorn promised as Caleb caught his breath. He hated being the weakest link in a fight, but he also knew he was getting really good with a sword. Caius had been training for millennia, and Sage and Thorn had trained with weapons from the time they were toddlers. Caleb knew he'd catch up eventually.

Things were going alright until Caleb heard Sage scream, " _Caius!"_

Caleb and Thorn immediately turned their attention to Caius, who had apparently jumped behind them to protect them from an attack. He now had a nasty gash across his chest. _He's going to die, just like your parents... Because of you,_ his mind taunted him.

Thorn sensed Caleb's distress and squeezed his hand before fighting off more soldiers who tried to reach them. Caleb kneeled next to Caius. "This looks bad..." He whispered in horror.

Caius reached toward his arm, touching it gently. "I'll be alright, Caleb," he said. "I am cursed with immortality, remember?"

Sage had apparently had enough. With an impressive blast of power, she destroyed the remaining golden soldiers. Then, she rushed to Caius. Thorn knelt beside Caleb. "Is he okay?" He asked. He and Sage dropped their morphs in unison, and Caleb let the Chosen armor go, too.

"I promise, I shall be fine," Caius insisted.

"Immortal or not, you can still feel pain," Sage said. She began to remove his shredded, formerly white blood-soaked shirt. Most of the buttons still clung together, but the diagonal slash had destroyed the shirt beyond repair.

"Do not waste your energy. It shall heal on its own."

"You're stubborn. Just shut up and let me heal you. I'm not leaving you here in this kind of pain." She placed her hands over the gash and began to heal the wound.

Caleb saw the way Caius looked at Sage. His eyes were more peaceful than Caleb had ever seen them, and he stared at Sage with obvious adoration. _How have I never noticed that before?_ Caleb wondered. Was it new? Was Caius just confused by blood loss and seeing his lost love Rose instead of Sage? Or was it possible that Caius was beginning to feel more than fondness for Sage? Thorn must have noticed, too, because he exchanged a glance with Caleb before saying, "Can I help, Sis?"

"No , I've almost got him fully healed..." She finished healing him before helping him sit up. "Take it slow," she advised. "Even though I regenerated most of it, you lost a lot of blood. You'll be dizzy until your body adjusts."

Caius looked into her eyes. "Thank you, Sage," he said softly.

"It was no big deal. You're immortal, like you said. It's easier to heal immortals. Come on, guys... We still need to find Dora."

"No you don't. She found you," Dora said with a laugh as she approached with Ares.

"Dora! Are you okay?" Caleb asked.

"Yeah... Deker and Dahlia saved me, and then my dad showed up," Dora explained.

"What happened?" Thorn asked.

"Katherine came for me... I think I'd be dead if Deker hadn't gotten involved."

"Oh, Jayden's going to _love_ hearing that _he's_ still in town," Sage said with a laugh.

"I am glad you are safe, Dora," Caius said.

"Brother... What happened to your shirt?" Ares asked, spotting it on the grass.

"The Alchemist sent her golden army," Caius explained, allowing Sage to help him to his feet. Caleb and Thorn stood up then, too. "I was protecting Caleb and Thorn and one of them got to me, but I am healed now. Sage is very good at what she does."

"I guess immortality's not _always_ a curse," Dora said with a smirk.

"Indeed," Ares said. He frowned, and Caleb wondered what his uncle was thinking about. Perhaps it was his Military training, but his uncle was a very difficult man to read. Caleb could rarely guess what was on his mind. He placed his jacket on Caius so he was no longer topless.

"Thank you, Ares," Caius said softly, buttoning the jacket closed.

"Why was Aunt Kat after Dora?" Thorn wondered aloud. "What was she trying to accomplish?"

"She was trying to provoke me into using my powers... Ones I apparently don't already know about. I have no idea what she thinks I can do, but I may or may not have created some sort of wind cushion to save my kitty army," Dora replied. "She sent them flying, I panicked, and all of a sudden, the cushion caught them all. It was weird."

"Strong emotions can trigger latent magic," Sage said. "It happened with Doctor K when Merkhet attacked Ziggy. Doctor K figured out she has magic because of an accidental outburst after Merkhet took something Ziggy had given her, but after that, Doctor K used her scientific mind to figure out how the powers worked so that when Ziggy himself was in danger, she could help him."

"So you're saying I _did_ create the wind cushion..." Dora said.

"Probably. If Kat thinks you have powers, there's most likely a reason for that. I can work with you and try to figure out what you can do. I did it for Jason's sons after finding out Ollie could Shadow Travel and two of the other three were actively showing signs of having magic, too."

"I thought they _all_ had magic."

"They do, but Vinny's wasn't really showing itself at the time."

"Well, I appreciate the offer," Dora said. "If this comes up again, I want to be prepared."

"We should leave this place," Ares said. "Before the Alchemist sends more soldiers."

"He's right," Caleb said. Everyone else began walking away. He hesitated. He was still kind of freaked out. He might still be calling Caius by his name instead of "dad," but he was the only parent Caleb had left. He stared at the spot where Caius had been lying in his own blood.

Caleb felt something slip around his neck. It instantly soothed him. He looked down and realized it was the tiger's eye necklace that Thorn always wore. "Thorn-" he began, knowing the charm had been a gift from his mother.

"Keep it for a while," Thorn said gently.

"But-"

"That charm keeps me grounded when I need it the most. It will protect you and help you find your inner strength."

"I know how much this means to you..."

"It's okay, Caleb. _You_ help me find my inner strength, too. As long as the necklace is helping you, it's helping me, too." Thorn kissed the top of his head protectively.

"Thank you," Caleb whispered, trying not to get overly emotional. He wrapped his arms around Thorn and stayed in his embrace for a minute before they joined everyone who'd started to walk ahead. He held Thorn's hand with his left hand and held the charm with his right. It was incredibly soothing.

Sage looked back at the two of them. She looked surprised to see the charm around Caleb's neck, but one look at Thorn seemed to clear it up for her. She nodded, giving Caleb a reassuring smile before inching closer to Caius and looking ahead again.

They walked together until they reached a taco place. "I'm _starving,"_ Dora said.

"Well, then, dinner is on me," Caius said.

"Brother... What, exactly, is a... _Taco?"_ Ares asked, causing all four of the teenagers to laugh.

"Delicious, _that's_ what," Dora replied.

"They generally consist of some form of meat, poultry, or even fish inside of a shell filled with cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, and some sort of sauce," Caius explained. "I do not often indulge in such things, however one of the universities I used to teach at had a taco night every week." They headed inside and Caleb tried to pretend everything was normal. Then again, maybe this _was_ his normal now.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **LACHLAN**_

He was having the _strangest_ dream. Lachlan Davies was standing in a room with a bunch of ritual tools. He felt drawn to one and picked it up. He gasped as the blade pricked his skin.

" _Awaken, my boy,"_ a voice called to him.

"What's happening?" Lachlan asked nervously.

 _"You must awaken to your true self. Listen when my voice guides you."_

 _"Who_ are _you?" Lachlan asked._

 _"All shall be revealed in due time, my boy..." The man stepped out of the shadows and smiled at him reassuringly. "No one knows who you truly are, but I do... And I must say, you grew up even better than I had hoped."_

 _"Do I know you?" Lachlan asked. Something about this man was strangely familiar. It was odd that his skin was blue, but there was something about him that made Lachlan want to trust him._

 _"Yes, my boy. In your heart, you do. Go now. You have school."_

With that, Lachlan woke up. "Wow," he mumbled. "No more late night snacks for _you."_

"Lachlan! Hurr'up 'fore yer late on yer first day!" His mother called from downstairs. "Are ya up?"

"Aye, Ma!" Lachlan called back. He sighed and dragged himself to the bathroom before his ma came and threw him into a cold shower herself. She'd done it before. That woman did _not_ play games when something needed to be done.

Once he was showered, dressed, and somewhat functional, Lachlan hurried down to the kitchen. He was still getting used to his new house in a new country. Sure, they'd visited the USA over the years, but moving there was an entirely different thing.

"Good morning, Son," his father greeted him calmly as he sipped his morning tea. His father was a very calm, soft-spoken British man. Lachlan had been raised just outside of London, so he generally spoke in the same tone and accent that his father used, but on the rare occasion he got angry, his ma's Scottish accent came out. She was a fiery redhead raised in Scotland who moved to London for university. That was where she'd met his father. They'd fallen in love instantly, and the rest was history.

"Morning, Dad," Lachlan replied. "Morning, Ma," he added.

His ma handed him a plate of pancakes, bacon, sausage, and hash browns. "Eat up. You'll need yer strength fer tha first day o' school," she said cheerfully.

Lachlan ate breakfast quickly so he could head to school. "Are ya sure ya don' wan' a ride, Lach?" His ma asked.

"It's not far," Lachlan replied.

She nodded and gave him a kiss goodbye on his forehead. "Good luck, Lachlan," his father said, patting him on the back encouragingly.

Lachlan grabbed his school bag and walked out the door. He walked a few blocks before he arrived at Angel Grove High School. Lachlan was nervous, but he hoped he'd find a way to fit in at the American high school.

He was looking over his schedule when he slammed into a mass of solid muscle. The impact nearly knocked him down, but strong arms reached out to steady him. "Whoa! Sorry," a boy said. "Are you okay?"

Lachlan looked up into the very handsome face attached to the toned body. "Yeah," he said, embarrassed. "I just didn't expect to run into a brick wall."

The boy laughed, and his smile lit up his entire face. "Sorry... Football, you know?"

"You play football?" Lachlan asked, getting excited. Then he remembered where he was. "Oh... You mean _American_ football, right?"

"Is there any other kind?" The boy joked.

"I believe you all call it _soccer..._ Which is the only sport I play."

The boy didn't seem offended. "Soccer's cool. I play that, too, sometimes. I also do Martial Arts. I'm Micky, by the way."

"Lachlan... Lach for short, if you prefer."

"It's nice to meet you. Are you new? I just started recently myself."

"Yes. My family just moved to the States from London."

"That's cool. Why'd you move?"

"Honestly, I don't know... All of a sudden, about three weeks ago, my parents decided we needed a change. My dad is a scientist, so he asked his company to transfer him to their US division. Ma found a job with a local paper... She's a journalist... And here we are."

"Sometimes, a change of pace is a good thing," Micky said. "Do you want me to walk you to your first class? I've pretty much figured out the layout here."

Lachlan smiled. "I'd appreciate that, thanks," he replied eagerly.

The boys walked together until they reached a classroom. The new school wasn't nearly as intimidating with Micky by his side. "This is your stop," Micky said. "We have lunch together. You can eat with me if you want... I mean, since you don't know anyone."

"That sounds lovely, actually," Lachlan replied. "Thank you, Micky. I appreciate your kindness."

Micky smiled. "Good luck. I'll see you later." He left for his own class.

Lachlan sat down at a free desk and mentally prepared himself to start his first class in this new school.

 _ **MICKY**_

He walked into his science class smiling. Liza caught this and asked, "Who's got _you_ so cheerful?"

"Maybe I'm just in a good mood," Micky said innocently.

"Who's the guy?" Liza asked softly. She was the only person Micky had ever come out to.

Micky sighed. "His name is Lachlan... Lach. And he's sweet and nice to look at and he has an accent that is making me melt..."

"Oooh, an accent? Nice! Where is he from?"

"He's British."

"Sexy. Did he set off your gaydar?"

"A little, but it could be wishful thinking... Besides, I don't date."

"Because your parents were assholes... But they're gone, Micky. Tommy is really supportive of Thorn. I'm sure he'd support you, too."

 _"I'm_ not. He doesn't know what to do with me _now._ If he found out I'm..." He stopped. He couldn't say it out loud.

"A friend of Dorothy? A gym queen? Absolutely freaking fabulous?" Liza suggested.

"Shut up, oh my God..." Micky buried his face in his hands, humiliated.

"Micky, no one can hear me, and even if they did, they wouldn't care. Seriously, Thorn and Caleb are, like, everyone's favorite couple here."

There was no more time to talk as their teacher began the class. For once, Micky was grateful for that.

 _ **ZELL**_

He was very pleased with the way things were headed. Lieutenant Stone had proven fierce and loyal, with the heart of a warrior. Evil or not, that was a useful trait. In addition to him, several former Power Rangers had been captured. Zell had a decent group to pick from. He kept them held in a labyrinth. The Warlock had bewitched their new home so that the basement was an endless labyrinth only Zell and his most trusted followers could navigate.

 _Labyrinth would have made a much more impressive one, but I suppose this will do,_ Zell thought. Labyrinth was an immortal Eltarian who'd been around since Zell had been with Serafine. He was part of the Rebellion, but he'd vanished a long time ago. Zell knew why that was, and he was certain Labyrinth was still alive, but he was so deep in hiding that not even Zell could locate him. With that being the case, he'd had to settle for the Warlock's poor imitation of Labyrinth's work. Still, it was more than enough to keep the former Rangers trapped as he debated which ones would serve him best.

One of his favorites was the one he stood with now. "Stay back!" She cried as he got very close to her.

"Or _what,_ my dear?" Zell asked. "What do you think you can do to me?"

"Plenty!" The feisty little blonde thing declared. " _Try_ me!"

Zell decided to take her up on that. "Very well, my dear." He pulled out a heavy ax made of iron and brought it down toward her.

She caught it and said, "Thanks for that! Fist of Iron!" She proceeded to punch him impressively hard.

"How very interesting, my little Pink Ranger..." Zell mumbled as he recovered. "Tell me, does that work with _anything_ you touch?"

"Yes, so back the hell up!" She shouted.

He laughed. Her fiery spirit amused him, especially because she looked pretty harmless on the surface. "Sydney Drew, you shall be my very first new recruit," he decided.

"Like _Hell_ I will!"

"You should be _honored,_ my dear. You have impressed me." With that, he summoned the flames and pushed her into them.

She screamed. He knew she was trying to fight the flames, but she couldn't."I'm from the _future,"_ she tried to reason with him. "You'll undo the time line!"

"Nonsense," Zell said. "I may create some ripples, but nothing that will do any _real_ harm. I kidnapped you from after your team retired. Nothing important will be changed by you remaining in this time with me, so long as you don't meet your other selves through time. Trust me, my dear. I know what I am doing."

She didn't give him the satisfaction of begging him to spare her. He was surprised by that, but it only proved she was tougher than she appeared. She finally closed her eyes, accepting what was coming. "SPD... Emergency..." She said softly, almost like a prayer to help remind her of who she was inside. As the last of her light burned away, she smiled at him wickedly.

"Sydney... Evil suits you," Zell informed her with a smile of his own.

"Thank you," she replied, looking at him mischievously. "What happens now?"

"Now, you demonstrate your unique talent for me. I wish to see just how much you are capable of."

"You won't be disappointed," she promised.

"Excellent. Come with me." Zell led her out of the labyrinth and into the main house. He would have a proper room prepared for her at once. She was one of them now.

 _ **KIMBERLY**_

She was exhausted. She'd forgotten how much the last few months of pregnancy took out of a woman. Kimberly touched her stomach and felt the baby kicking her. She smiled. "We're almost done with this part, Little One," she told the baby. She was in her final month of the journey. She could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Her cell phone rang. Kimberly was surprised to see that it was Lieutenant Stone calling her. She picked up right away. "Hey, Lieutenant Stone," she said. "What's up?"

"Kimberly, we need to talk," he replied. His tone worried her.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"This _needs_ to be done in person... Can I come pick you up?"

She wasn't really up to going out, especially since she was supposed to go to the small gym she ran to help with training later, but this sounded bad. "Sure," she said. "I'll be ready in ten minutes."

"I'll see you then." He hung up.

Frowning, Kimberly hurried to get ready to go out. Exactly ten minutes later, she saw Lieutenant Stone's car outside. She hurried out of the house, locking the door behind her after shooting Billy a quick text saying, _Had to head out early to help Lt. Stone. See you tonight. I love you!_

"Kimberly, look at you... You're _glowing,"_ Lieutenant Stone said as she climbed into his car. He didn't seem to be his usual warm self, but the comment was definitely something he'd say.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "Can I ask what this is about now?"

"Kimberly, I need you to look out the window and tell me what you see."

That seemed like an odd request, but she indulged him, turning her head to the side. "Well, I see the neighborhood... Houses, trees, a few birds flying b-" Her sentence was cut off as a cloth was clamped over her mouth. Kimberly didn't have time to do more than try to scream against it before she blacked out.

 _ **JOSH**_

He arrived home and was surprised to find the house empty. K and Ziggy were with their team, and his father was at the Command Center working on a project with Zordon and Alpha. Kenny had headed to gymnastics early to get in some extra training time... But Josh thought Kimberly would still be home.

He heard a sound coming from the attic. Kimberly never really went up there, so this worried him. He headed upstairs cautiously. "Kimberly?" He called. There was no answer. He tensed, positive he was not alone, and searched the attic for an intruder. Every time he moved, he heard the sound of something else moving. Josh began anticipating the pattern of movement until he was sure he was right on top of the thing. He finally pounced, ready to attack.

The cry of shock that met his attack was squeaky but not especially intimidating. A fuzzy little yellowish-brown creature stared at him from behind big pink sunglasses that had yellow sunflowers attached to the temples. The sunglasses had, presumably, been Kimberly's at some point. The lenses kept Josh from making direct eye contact with the creature. It had pointed ears and chubby cheeks and reminded Josh of...

"A _gremlin..."_ He whispered. "A-are you... Are you a _vizu?"_ He asked.

The creature nodded at him slowly. It looked like it was afraid of Josh. "Don't worry," Josh said gently. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The _vizu_ relaxed slightly. Josh extended his hand toward it and it sniffed him, then stunned him by rubbing its head on his hand affectionately. He knew these things were supposed to be dangerous, but this one just seemed... _Cute._

"Are you male or female?" Josh wondered. "Are you a boy?" He asked. The _vizu_ shook its head. "A girl, then?" She nodded eagerly. "Okay, girl... I'm Josh. What are you doing in my house?"

The _vizu_ walked on its cute, stubby legs toward a box. She then nudged it toward Josh. Confused, he opened it. Inside was an oval locket. Josh took the locket in his hands and began shaking as a memory hit him. He'd seen the locket before. "This was my mother's..." He said softly. The _vizu_ nodded at him. He sat down and opened the locket, expecting to find a picture inside. Instead, he found a set of microchips. "What the heck?" He wondered.

The _vizu_ proceeded to curl up in Josh's lap and take a nap. He hadn't expected that, but he found himself petting her. Logic told him he should fear her and banish her with a mirror, but he couldn't do it. She was so gentle and affectionate, and he had a feeling she was trying to help him. Somehow, this _vizu_ was connected to his mother, and she was trying to guide him toward something important.

 _I'll examine the microchips as soon as possible,_ he decided. Maybe then he'd finally find some answers. Until he knew more, he decided to keep this to himself. His dad was stressed enough, and K was too practical. She'd either destroy the _vizu_ or study it, and neither seemed like a fair fate to sentence her to. Part of Josh knew this was crazy, but a bigger part didn't care. He would protect her until he had reason to believe he shouldn't.

 _ **AJ**_

She was training pretty hard lately. Not only did it make her happy to participate in gymnastics competitions, but it helped make her a stronger Power Ranger, too. AJ had come into possession of the Pink Energem right after the rest of the Dino Charge team had been attacked at the former Pink Ranger's funeral. AJ knew the history. Shelby had been intelligent but far too arrogant, and that arrogance had caused her to make a mistake that had ended with her boyfriend Tyler's father being killed in the big battle. Tyler had broken up with her in his grief and aside from Sir Ivan, the rest of the team had shunned her. Ivan had removed Shelby from James' funeral before Tyler could see her and get upset, and she'd decided he'd turned on her, too. Her energem abandoned her and they didn't see her after that. Eventually, she'd sent a goodbye text to Tyler before taking her own life. Poor Tyler had found her, but it was too late to save her.

When AJ had joined the battle to save Koda, the Pink Energem had appeared and chosen her. Upon finding out AJ's home life was not exactly ideal, Sage had asked the lawyer, Sellie, to help Chase become her legal guardian. She lived with him now in Angel Grove. She didn't mind. It meant she was close to Koda, who she adored, and she could train under Kimberly Hart, a gymnast she'd idolized ever since she was a toddler.

"You're doing great, AJ," Vikki, one of Kimberly's assistants, told her. "Go on and take five."

"Kenny, you've nailed that move twenty times in a row. Take a break. That's an order," Aaron, the other assistant, said.

"Did Mom check in with any other instructions for today?" Kenny asked. He grabbed a bottle of water, and AJ followed his lead.

"Actually, we haven't heard from Kim since this morning," Vikki replied. "She was supposed to be coming by, but I guess she changed her mind. She's probably exhausted."

AJ watched as Kenny frowned. "Something's not right," he said to her softly. "Mom would have called if she changed her mind."

"Maybe she just fell asleep?" AJ suggested.

"I don't know... I just feel like something is wrong." Kenny pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number. "She's not picking up... I'll try the house," he said, dialing again. This time, he got an answer. "Hey, Josh... Is my mom around?" He paused. "You're sure?" He paused again. "Call your dad. Mom was supposed to be here for training with me and AJ today. She didn't call anyone to change her plans, but she's not here."

Kenny hung up. "Vikki, Aaron, I think something happened. I'm going to go help Billy and Josh look for my mom," he said.

"Please call us when you know anything," Aaron said.

"I will," Kenny promised. To AJ, he said softly, "Finish your session. If it's a Ranger thing, I'll send Chase to pick you up."

"Be careful," AJ said, giving Kenny a hug. He nodded and headed out.

"I'm sure everything is fine," Vikki said reassuringly.

"Right," AJ replied, but she was just as worried as Kenny. With everything going on, Kimberly might really be in danger, and that thought scared her. She was an awesome coach and an even better person.

 _She'll be fine,_ AJ told herself. _She's Kimberly. She's tougher than people realize._ She forced herself to focus on the rest of her training and tried not to worry too much about the one adult who wasn't on her team that she'd truly bonded with in Angel Grove.

 _ **BILLY**_

He somehow knew even before his phone rang that something was wrong. Billy picked up anyway. "Hey, Josh," he said as calmly as he could manage.

"Dad… Something's going on," Josh began.

"What happened?"

"Kenny said Kimberly was supposed to be at his training session, but she didn't show up, and she didn't call… And when I got home, the house was empty. She's not answering her phone, Dad. She's missing."

Billy felt like all of the air had been sucked out of his lungs. "I'm on my way," he promised. He hung up. "Alpha, send me home immediately… And please track Kimberly for me."

"Of course, Billy," Alpha Twenty-Six replied. He teleported Billy home.

"Dad!" Josh cried, hurrying to him. "Kenny just got here, too." He motioned toward Kenny, who looked paler than usual but was clearly trying to stay calm on the outside.

"Come on," Billy said. "We'll go out looking for her. I asked Alpha to try to track her as well." He led the boys to his car.

They drove for a while, finding no clues whatsoever as to where Kimberly might be. Billy activated the GPS on her phone to try to find her that way, and he followed the signal to a dark alley. "Mom…" Kenny whispered nervously.

"Stay here," Billy told the boys.

"Dad-" Josh began.

"Stay in the car, Josh. We don't know what happened, and you're not walking in there blind. I'm the adult here, alright?" Billy said firmly. He got out of the car and searched for Kimberly's phone.

He found the phone almost immediately. The screen was shattered as if someone had thrown it into the alley. Billy's heart sank as he realized there was no sign of Kimberly. _She's still alive,_ he told himself. _If she wasn't, you'd know… Besides, they wouldn't need to ditch her phone if they weren't trying to keep us from tracking her. She's alive. She's alive, and you have to stay calm if you're going to find her._

Billy closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before heading back to the car. "We need to call everyone," he said. "Someone took her."

"What did you find?" Kenny asked.

"Someone threw her phone into that alley. Someone has her, but we're going to get her back. I promise."

Kenny was shaking as he hit a button on his communicator. "Guys… They got my mom. She's missing. Everyone needs to meet at the training center," he said.

Sage replied first. "We'll find her, Kenny," she said firmly. "I'll have Kira call in all Rangers who are currently local."

Billy tried not to allow panic to consume him as he realized Zell more than likely had his wife, and by extension, their unborn baby. He wouldn't lose them. He refused. He would never suffer that sort of loss again. He couldn't survive that.

"Dad… We need to get to Jayden and Dustin's training center," Josh said gently.

Billy nodded. "Affirmative. Let's go." He began driving, forcing himself to focus on the road for the safety of the two teenagers in his car. He had to be strong for them. He couldn't break, not now. _We'll get them back… We'll get them back, and everything will be okay,_ he told himself. He tried to believe that, but it was hard for Billy to be optimistic after everything life had put him through. When he'd been abducted, he'd been gone for three years. He wouldn't let that happen to Kimberly and their baby.

 _ **KIMBERLY**_

She woke up confused. Kimberly blinked several times to try to figure out where she was. "Oh, look who's awake! Good morning, _Kimmy_ ," a voice taunted her.

"Where am I?" Kimberly asked against the duct tape that was over her mouth. It came out muffled.

Suddenly, long blonde hair was in her face as someone reached over and ripped the tape off of her mouth. "What was that, Kimmy?" She asked.

"Kat…" Kimberly whispered in horror, recognizing her now.

"Did you miss me? We're going to have _so_ much fun catching up!"

"Where's Lieutenant Stone? What did you _do_ to him?" Kimberly demanded.

"We set him free. He's _ours_ now." Kat laughed and added, "He did a wonderful job of bringing you to us."

Kimberly felt sick. Lieutenant Stone must have been forced into the evil flames Zell used to turn people. She knew he'd never have betrayed her of his own free will. "You won't get away with this! The others will come for me!"

"Of course they will… But we're only hoping to lure _one_ person out today… Call him, Kimberly."

"Call _who?"_

"Zordon, you idiot! He'll come for you."

"Never! I'll _never_ bring him here for you!"

Kat slapped her across the face. "You'll do what I _say_ or I'll kill that little brat inside of you!"

Kimberly stiffened. Would Kat really kill her child? Looking into her cold, dead eyes, Kimberly had no doubt that she would. "That is _enough,_ Katherine," a new voice said.

"But, Father-" Kat objected.

"Go on your way now." He approached as Kat walked away in a huff. "Kimberly, my dear girl… It is so nice to see you again."

"Zell…" Kimberly whispered.

"You remember. Excellent. Now, my dear, I know how precious you are to my son. After all, you were willing to lay down your life to try to protect him from me. That sort of loyalty is admirable, and it would serve me well to have you on my side," Zell began.

"I'll never work for you, Zell," Kimberly said.

"Not even if it means keeping your little one safe? I don't believe that, Kimberly. In fact, I think you will do anything to protect that child."

"Of course I will. That's what mothers _do."_

"Then agree to work with me, and I promise, no harm shall come to you or to your child. You will have a place of great honor in my alliance." He touched her face gently, stroking her cheek. "Do not answer yet, my dear. Think about your options. We can talk again in the morning. Until then, please, eat something and get some rest. You need to keep your strength up for the sake of the child."

"What is it you want from me?" Kimberly found the courage to ask.

"I want to raise this child in my alliance, my dear… With your help, of course."

"You want my baby…"

"Yes. I believe that raising a child such as this one will be a great asset to me."

Kimberly didn't try to argue with him. If she played along, he might not hurt her or the baby, and she could escape. She simply took a deep breath and said, "I'm very tired…"

"Of course you are, my dear. Get some rest. I shall visit you again in the morning. I will order the others to stay away from you unless you have need of them… Felina will bring you food and monitor the baby to ensure everything is going well. Should there be an issue, she shall retrieve me."

Kimberly nodded. "I understand," she said.

"Good. Rest now, my dear." He left her alone, locking her inside of the cell she'd woken up in.

Kimberly pretended to sleep, but she was really trying to memorize every detail of the space she was trapped inside of. She'd escape, and she'd find a way to get help. And, somehow, she'd save Lieutenant Stone, too. First, however, she needed to save herself and the baby.

 _ **ZORDON**_

He was ready to run into the rescue. "Zordon, stop this," Caius urged him. "Please, my friend… You know this is what he wants."

"Caius, please remove yourself from the path," Zordon said stubbornly.

"He took Kimberly in an effort to lure you out, just as he did with Tommy. If you go after her, he will destroy you."

"I _know_ what is at risk, Caius!" He snapped. "This is _Kimberly._ I cannot simply leave her in his clutches, especially while she is pregnant."

"Please, Zordon, listen to reason. Your father knew you would react strongest to him capturing this particular Ranger. He is prepared for you. Do not sacrifice your life for nothing, because you know if he kills you, he will still keep her and the child."

"I know what he can and will do to her, and I won't stand for it, Caius!" He tried to shove past his old friend, his fear for Kimberly's safety overwhelming him.

"Brother… Stop," Zedd said softly as he suddenly joined them. He put a gentle hand on Zordon's arm.

Zordon realized he was shaking. "She _needs_ me, Zedd," he said.

"I know she is in danger, Zordon, but getting yourself killed won't help."

"He took her because she tried to protect me from him! I cannot leave her-"

"No one said anything about leaving her with him, but _you_ cannot be the one to rescue her, Zordon. It is a trap, and it is one I will not allow you to run head-first into."

Zordon sighed. "I have failed her, Zedd… I have failed them all…"

"You have failed _no one,_ Zordon. Your father is in your head right now. Years of being told you were nothing by him is what causes these thoughts, but I know the man you are… You are stronger than this… You are not the frightened young boy you once were."

Zordon began to feel more grounded. Zedd was right, and he knew it. "My apologies, Caius," he said softly. "I was not in the right frame of mind."

"I understand," Caius replied. "I was only trying to protect you, my friend."

"I know." He shook his head. "There must be a way to find her… He has her location cloaked. Even the Alphas couldn't find her… But there must be some clue…"

Caius stiffened suddenly. "I do not understand…" He said softly.

"Caius? What is it?" Zedd asked. "What do you see?"

"Not what… _Who,"_ Caius replied.

"Who, then?"

"I do not know who she is… However, she is quite insistent that I must hear what she has to say."

"By all means, ask her what that is."

"She's speaking very rapidly, and I do not believe the words are in English… I am trying to follow along…" He sighed. "Please, slow down," he said gently. He pulled out a notebook and began writing something down.

Zordon studied the words and frowned. "That's Eltarian," he said. "Butchered Eltarian, but still Eltarian. She's saying… 'The heroes are prevented. They cannot enter. Only one of more blood and one of none may enter.' I… I am not sure what this spirit is trying to tell you exactly, but it seems to be a warning."

Suddenly, Caius turned deathly pale, and Zordon knew the spirit was touching him. "Zedd, help me hold him here," Zordon said urgently.

"Save her!" Caius yelled in a voice that was most certainly not his own. "Only two may save her… The witch and the fool… They must! They _must_ save her!" The spirit was frantic, and her grip on Caius was too strong.

"Calm down, and we can help you," Zordon said.

"Save her… She saved his heart. _Please_ save her," she said, slightly calmer.

"Are you talking about Kimberly?"

"Yes… He loves her. You have to save her… He needs her…"

"How do we save her?"

"Your people are blocked… All of you… _You're_ not, but he's expecting you, waiting for you… That won't work… No… No, it can only be the witch and the fool…"

"Who are you talking about?" Zedd asked.

"The witch… And the fool…" She began screaming then, and Zordon knew they'd lost any chance of getting more information from her.

Caius contorted into a position that was not natural and began having a seizure. "Zordon!" Zedd called urgently.

Zordon protectively wrapped his arms around Caius as he continued to seize while Zedd tried to force the spirit's energy out of him. This had never happened before. Caius could end up in bad shape because of a spirit, but Zordon had never witnessed one taking control of his body before. Finally, Caius went terribly still.

"Zordon… Is he… Is he alright?" Zedd asked, panting as he tried to catch his breath.

"Caius… Caius, can you hear me?" Zordon called.

Caius slowly opened his eyes. He looked dead, but his pulse was slowly becoming steady again. "He will survive," Zordon told Zedd. He stood and carried Caius to a healing bay to recover.

"Who was she?" Zedd asked as Caius started to recover.

"Marilyn…" Caius said softly. "Marilyn Cranston… Josh's mother."

"I don't understand… How would Marilyn Cranston speak Eltarian?" Zedd asked.

"She wouldn't…" Zordon said with a frown. "Something very strange is going on here."

"Her message was clear, though. To save Kimberly, we need a witch and a fool… We know several people who could be the witch," Zedd said. "But the fool? What did she mean? An actual idiot… Someone at the start of their journey, like the Tarot card… _Both_? The new Samurai might qualify. I mean no offense, but he is treated as a fool by most, and he's started a new journey quite recently."

"I wish we had more information," Zordon said. "Her words were too broad… If they are symbolic and not literal, they could mean _anyone._ "

"We must hurry and figure it out," Caius said. "I have the sense that there is no time to waste… Marilyn wants Kimberly safe for Billy's sake. She still loves her husband very much, and she knows Kimberly is the only person who has helped him find peace."

Zordon didn't like this new puzzle piece. It complicated things. He could understand Billy's late wife wanting to help his current wife be safe for her husband's sake, but that still didn't explain why she was speaking in Eltarian. She had seemed frantic and not entirely rational, which was not how Billy described her. Zordon knew there was more going on here, but he couldn't figure out what it was. The only thing he knew was there was precious little time to save Kimberly and her unborn child. He had to focus on that, and would need to worry about the rest of it after they got her back.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **SYD**_

She was assigned to bring the tray of food down to Felina to feed to the captured Pink Ranger. On her way, she spotted Mora. The child tensed and looked panicked. "I'm not going back!" She cried.

Syd decided to have some fun. "SPD, Emergency!" She declared, moving as though she was going to capture Mora in one of their containment devices. She laughed as Mora let out a startled cry of alarm. "Relax, Kid," she said casually. "I don't play for that team anymore."

"You… You don't?" Mora asked. She studied her, then gasped in shock. "He _turned_ you!"

"The Great Zell has freed me from the repressive rules of SPD," Syd replied. "I like this world _much_ more. Now I understand why the bad guys are always causing trouble… It's fun."

Mora nodded. "Yes, it is," she said. "Do you want to play with me?" She smiled at her brightly.

"I wasn't brought here to be a babysitter, Kid," Syd replied. "But maybe, if you're a good girl, we'll play some games later…" She walked away, leaving her former enemy behind. She reached the outside of the cell.

"Food for the expecting mother," Syd said to Felina pleasantly.

"Good. _You_ feed her. I have another matter I must attend to," Felina said. She handed Syd the key to the cell.

Syd shrugged. "Whatever… I guess I _am_ a babysitter today," she mumbled. She opened the door and shoved the food inside. "Wake up, Mama," she called. "Gotta keep that baby healthy and all that." She closed the door as Kimberly sat up.

"Now what?" Syd wondered. She looked at her nails, realizing how desperately she needed a manicure, and frowned. She'd have to look her best when they took over the world. Syd let her mind wander from subject to subject, although there wasn't much to think about. The flames had changed her mind, and most of her thoughts turned to evil and chaos now. She thought about all of this with a smile on her face until she heard a sound from inside of the cell.

"Help!" Kimberly called desperately.

"Shut up, Kimberly. No one can hear you," Syd informed her.

"The baby… Something's wrong with the baby," Kimberly said.

"Damnit, if anything happens to the kid, the Great Zell will kill me…" Syd mumbled. She unlocked the door to see what she could do.

As Syd stepped inside, Kimberly stunned her by charging toward her, using the momentum to knock Syd into a wall. Syd fought back, trying to restrain Kimberly without risking injury to the baby. Zell had ordered that the baby remain safe at all costs, but he hadn't said anything about Kimberly.

They went back and forth for a minute before Kimberly paused to regroup. Syd was pretty sure she'd won as Kimberly took several deep breaths. "I'm sorry about this, Syd," Kimberly said before suddenly kicking Syd in the head and making everything go black.

 _ **KIMBERLY**_

She fled the cell, locking Syd inside, and ran down the hallway. She would send someone back for Syd… She couldn't just leave her there. Syd had clearly been turned just like Lieutenant Stone.

"Come on, Kimberly… You can get out of here," she told herself. "Just focus and you'll find a way…" She had to. It wasn't only her life at risk… It was her baby's.

She began wandering through the seemingly endless basement. It took her a while to realize she kept passing the same rooms. "What is this? Some sort of magic?" She asked aloud.

"Precisely," a voice said.

Kimberly spun around to see a man smiling at her. "Hello, Kimberly Hart. I am the Warlock. Welcome to my labyrinth," he said pleasantly.

Kimberly's chest tightened. She knew how dangerous the Warlock was rumored to be. "Why are you doing this?" She asked.

"Working with Zell suits me, currently. That means I keep his little hostages trapped. You're welcome to try to find a way out of here, but it will not work."

"Please… You have to help me. I'm pregnant. I can't let him hurt my baby."

"He won't. He wants that child alive. You, however, he may dispose of once he deems you to no longer be of use to him. I would not cross him if I were you. Pleasant dreams, Kimberly." The Warlock snapped his fingers and Kimberly found herself trapped inside of her cell again. She was alone, so he must have removed Syd.

"No! Damnit!" Kimberly cried out. She smashed her fist against the sealed door in frustration. She wouldn't give up, but escaping was apparently going to be more difficult than she'd anticipated.

 _I'll find a way out of this,_ she silently vowed. She had to. She refused to let Zell get his hands on her baby. One way or another, she would escape and find her way back to Billy and their family.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

 _ **JOSH**_

The search for Kimberly had turned up no leads so far. It had been two days, and Power Rangers from across the years had tried and failed to find her. Josh watched helplessly as his father became more and more frantic. Kenny wasn't doing much better, but he was trying to put on a strong front for the rest of the team. Josh knew him too well to fall for it.

This wasn't just hitting his team and his father... It was hurting all of the original Rangers, and the younger generations who'd come to view Kimberly as a mentor and someone they could always turn to when they needed a shoulder to cry on.

Jason had clearly not slept since they'd told everyone that Kimberly was missing. He would stop to eat while he touched base with everyone, but immediately after, he was back on the streets, in the woods, and wherever else searching again. He'd left Vinny and Robby with Tanya, since she couldn't just leave all of the kids in her custody to help them search. Luke was staying with the lawyer, Sellie, since she had custody of his twin sister Lucy. Ollie was with Jason whenever he wasn't at school or being forced to sleep. His limited amount of sleeping was being done at Tammy's house.

Adam and Rocky were nearly as bad as Jason, but Sage, Thorn, and Zeke were forcing them to at least sleep. Zordon and the Alphas were doing everything they could to help from the Command Center, but they hadn't had much luck. Andros had tried to use D.E.C.A. to locate her, but every time they nearly had the location, something interfered with the signal and knocked them back to square one. Karone and Sage were in agreement that wherever Kimberly was, it existed between realms on a magical plane. It might not sound like science, but Josh knew parallel realms existed, so this seemed possible.

Josh didn't know how Tommy was doing. He'd disappeared on everyone, but he did answer texts, so they knew he wasn't missing again. Josh assumed he was searching for Kimberly as hard or possibly even harder than everyone else. He couldn't focus on Tommy right now. His dad needed him.

"Dad... Are you okay?" Josh asked as he heard his father cursing over something on the computer.

"I'm fine," his father replied numbly.

"Maybe I can help-"

"No." He said this too quickly, then sighed. "It's just a bit off, Josh. I can figure it out."

"Dad... You can't do this by yourself."

"I'll be fine."

Josh sighed. His father was starting to become as obsessive and frantic as he'd been when Josh's mother was dying. Josh didn't remember much about that time, especially since Kimberly and even Kenny's asshole father, Mark, had stepped up to help take care of him during all of it, but Josh did remember how stressed out his father had been... And how broken he'd become when he couldn't save her.

"Dad, don't shut me out," Josh said firmly. _"Please."_

His father looked surprised. "Josh..." He began.

"I'm not seven years old this time, Dad. I can help you with all of this. You don't have to handle everything alone."

His father took a deep breath and released it before nodding. "Okay," he said. "Help me figure out what keeps making this tech malfunction."

Josh felt a million times better. He started going over things with his father, and together, they had things working properly within minutes. The technology was meant to scan through other planets, dimensions, and realms for signs of life. It was advanced alien technology, which was Josh's favorite thing in the world. His father closed his eyes before turning it on and putting some hair from one of Kimberly's brushes inside of the chamber. At first, nothing happened.

After three full minutes of silence, Josh saw a tear slide down his father's cheek. Just as he was about to give up entirely, the device began to beep.

"She's alive... " His father whispered.

"And in this time. If she'd been sent into the past or future, it wouldn't have worked," Josh reminded him. Together, they began analyzing the reading, trying to figure out if they could pinpoint a location.

"She's still in Angel Grove," his father said. "She must be in one of the pocket realms the Warlock creates, or something similar."

"That narrows it down, at least," Josh said. "Will you be okay, Dad?"

"I'm not there yet... I won't be until we find her... But this gave me hope, which is what I need... A reminder that I haven't lost her."

Josh nodded. "We'll find her, Dad. Kim's tougher than people give her credit for."

"Believe me, I know that." His father hugged him. "Thank you, Josh. I couldn't have gotten the device working without you. I'm sorry I pushed you away earlier."

"It's okay. I get it... Just... Try to remember you're not alone, Dad."

He nodded. "I haven't eaten in... I don't even know how long. Come on. Let's get lunch quick."

"Sure, Dad," Josh replied. He was relieved his father was eating. He needed his strength.

"Where's Kenny? We should bring him."

"Kenny won't sit still. I lost track of him," Josh admitted. "I know Sage has been trying to keep an eye on him... I don't think he's eating, Dad."

"Kenny never does when he's stressed. I'll call him. We'll pick him up and force feed him if we have to."

With that, they headed off to find Kenny. Josh hoped they'd be able to help him. Kenny had always been extremely close to Kimberly. He knew he wasn't doing well. Kenny needed help before he lost it. _You got through to your dad... Kenny's next,_ Josh told himself. He could do this. He could hold his family together while Kimberly wasn't there to do it.

 _ **ANDIE**_

She was in the one place she didn't want to be. "I don't get it," Scott protested. "Why check the one place we know they're not going to be?"

"Because this is where they lived before we took them down," Darcy said practically. "There might be clues about where they went."

The property had been Zell's home for a while. He'd held Darcy, Andie, and Greg prisoner there, but only Andie had been awake for the entire time. Zell had allowed her to explore some parts of the property, including the garden, but she had been more concerned with finding Greg and Darcy so they could escape.

The Stone Warriors, Vida, Chip, Ivan, and the Ranger Guard had teamed up to look for Kimberly or anyone who might know where she was. Lady Eleanor, Lido, and Amos had come along for protection. To the protest of several of the others, even Captain Smith and his people had come along. Once he heard a pregnant woman was in peril, Captain Smith had insisted on helping.

As everyone searched for clues, Andie was drawn deeper into the garden. She heard the sound of something moving. "What the...?" She wondered aloud.

She caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. She moved toward it, summoning her bow and arrow automatically, and aimed it at the source.

A small creature let out a panicked squeak. It frantically pulled, of all things, a pair of plastic, flowery sunglasses on over its eyes before looking at Andie nervously. Andie immediately sent her weapon away and crouched beside the creature.

"It's okay," she said gently. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The creature came closer, examining her curiously. It spotted the talisman Andie wore that had once belonged to Daphne and squeaked in excitement. It nudged Andie with its head like it wanted to be pet, so she began to pet it.

"You're very cute," Andie informed it. The creature began looking at the flowers, and a flash of Daphne's knowledge hit her. "You're hungry, aren't you? It's okay. You can eat the flowers." Those flowers had been Andie's only warning that this property was dangerous. They were beautiful and native only to Eltar. The spirit of Danny Delgado had warned her not to trust the flowers, but she hadn't understood the warning until it was too late. While evil, Vida had led them into a trap. Andie didn't mind seeing these particular flowers go.

The creature began eating the flowers. Instinct told Andie it was a girl, so she said, "That's it, Girl. It's okay."

"Andie, no! Get away from it!" Nessa shouted.

"Oh my goodness! Don't make eye contact!" Mena added quickly.

The creature hid behind Andie, squeaking nervously. "Guys, what's wrong?" Andie asked in confusion.

"Does anyone have a mirror?" Van asked.

"Andie, I _mean_ it, get away from that thing!" Nessa said again.

"Why? She's not hurting me," Andie insisted. "She's just hungry."

"Is that what I _think_ it is?" Allie asked in alarm.

"Hey, Eltarians? You guys are freaking me out," Scott said. "What's wrong? It's cute. Is it like the killer bunny from _Monty Python_ or something?"

"Scott, that thing is-" Van began to explain.

"A _vizu,"_ Lady Eleanor cut him off. She pulled out her sword.

"A _whatzu?"_ Freddy asked.

"Demonic spirits from Eltar," Greg replied. "They can be very dangerous, Andie... Making eye contact can cause madness."

"He's right. Raff and Felina repeatedly warned me about these things. One direct look can break someone's mind," Logan said nervously.

"Which, I assume, is why she's wearing sunglasses," Andie said, beginning to understand. A flash of memory hit her. "I _know_ you, _don't_ I?" Andie asked.

The _vizu_ squeaked and nodded. "Don't _talk_ to it!" Nessa protested in horror.

"We must kill the creature and be done with it," Lady Eleanor agreed.

" _I'll_ do it," B'Danna said harshly as she joined them.

"No one is killing her," Andie said stubbornly. "She's not going to hurt anyone."

"Look, Flower Child, those things are _deadly,"_ B'Danna insisted. "Peace and love don't work. Either banish it with a mirror or let me chop its head off and burn it. That won't kill the thing, but it can't hurt anyone if it has no eyes!"

"B'Danna." The one word from Captain Smith made her pause.

"Captain Smith... You of _all_ people know what those things can do," B'Danna said. Her tone was uncharacteristically soft and non-combative.

"I understand your reaction, B'Danna... And normally, it would be justified, however, I believe Andie is correct. This _vizu_ is not here to cause harm. Have you ever seen a _vizu_ cover its eyes?"

"No, but those things are _monsters!_ It will hurt her," B'Danna insisted.

"That is what the people of Eltar said about _me,"_ Lido said softly. "Daphne was the first one to give me a chance."

"This is different, Lido. You _know_ what those things do!" B'Danna looked lost. Andie could tell she'd been traumatized by a _vizu_ in the past. She felt sorry for her, but she wouldn't let her murder the poor thing.

"What's all the fuss?" Darcy asked as the rest of the search party arrived to that part of the property. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the _vizu._

The _vizu_ squeaked and ran toward her. "Look out!" Van cried in alarm.

Darcy pulled the _vizu_ into her arms. "It's okay, Girl... I missed you, too," she said.

"What in all of Eltar does she _mean_ by that?!" Nessa asked in surprise.

"Relax, guys. She won't hurt anyone," Darcy said. "This is Sunny. She was my... I mean _Sera's_ friend. She doesn't like hurting people. She's so gentle, Sera even trusted her around Daphne."

"But... _Vizu_ are dangerous," Mena said gently.

"Most are, yes... But Sunny's friendly. She likes to be cuddled."

"She's _super_ cute," Scott said, reaching toward Sunny. She let him pet her, squeaking with content. Scott offered up a content squeak of his own in return, making Andie smile.

"Sunny's not an Eltarian name," Pierce said as he examined her. "If Serafine named her, why did she go with that?"

"It's short for Zunitz Sunya, which is Eltarian for _Creature of Light,"_ Darcy replied. "But that's a mouthful, and Daphne was seven when she met her, so she nicknamed her Sunny. Sunny liked that, so it stuck."

"Serafine named a demonic spirit _creature of light?"_ Van asked.

"She knew Sunny was different," Darcy said with a shrug.

Sunny hopped toward Nessa, who finally relaxed. "Well, she has interesting fashion sense. I'll say that much," she said with a slight grin. "Maybe I misjudged you, Sunny. My apologies."

Sunny seemed pleased with that. She turned toward B'Danna cautiously. "Not a _chance,"_ B'Danna said harshly.

Lady Eleanor studied her for a moment. "You have encountered one of these creatures before," she stated.

"Yes," B'Danna said softly. The haunted look in the normally unshakable Eltarian's eyes concerned Andie. Whatever had happened to her had changed her for life. That much was clear.

Lady Eleanor softened. "Come with me," she said gently, putting a protective arm around B'Danna's shoulder and leading her away.

"What the heck was _that_ about?" Greg asked. "My Gram _hates_ the Rebels."

"Lady Eleanor knew B'Danna long before she was part of the Rebellion," Captain Smith replied. "She had a hand in raising the girl. It seems she still cares for her."

"Whatever. Aren't we supposed to be looking for clues?" Chelsea reminded everyone.

"Right... We know Zell and his people were here, but where would they have gone next?" Darcy asked aloud. "There has to be some sort of hint somewhere…"

"We should look inside of the house," Mena said. "Maybe they left evidence of their plans."

Andie tensed. Could she really go back into that place? Ivan seemed to sense this. He protectively wrapped his arms around her. "You are safe, M'Lady. We _all_ are. We know they are not here," he reminded her softly.

Andie nodded. "I know," she replied. "And even if they _were_ here, if it meant rescuing a pregnant woman, I'd go in anyway."

"I'll be right beside you," he promised her.

"I _hate_ this place," Vida mumbled. It was, after all, the place where she'd been turned evil. "Let's get this over with."

"You'll be okay, V," Chip said with a sweet smile. "You're not alone this time."

"Nope. Sir Ivan's here to protect me," she teased him. Chip pouted. "And _I'll_ protect _you,"_ she added, pulling him closer to her. She gave him a quick kiss and Chip instantly started smiling again.

"I will go in ahead to ensure it is safe," Captain Smith volunteered.

"There is no need, Sir," Kizzie assured him. "They are gone, and all potentially harmful magic has broken."

"Thank you, Kizzie. There may still be physical threats, however."

"There aren't," Sprocket said suddenly.

"Pardon me?" Captain Smith asked.

"We never set physical traps on the property. That's not Zell's style. He likes magic as a defense system, not booby traps. He called that being lazy. It was something Raffitty objected to strongly while he was here... He pointed out that, with active magic users working against us, using only spells for security might not be good enough."

Captain Smith visibly stiffened at the mention of Raffitty. So did Logan. Pierce and Chelsea automatically moved closer to him. "My old friend was correct," Captain Smith finally replied. "The Great Wizard of Eltar is far too overconfident in his own plans. It makes him stubborn. I trust your word, Sprocket. We shall proceed into the house together."

"You know my name?" Sprocket asked in surprise.

"You are the heir to the Machine Empire, my dear boy. I have known who you were for quite some time. I am terribly sorry for your losses. I may not have agreed with the actions of your people, but a boy needs his family."

Sprocket looked both sad and stunned. "Thank you, Captain Smith," he managed to say.

"Come on, Sprocket," Greg said, clearly hoping to distract Sprocket from his grief. "You know this property better than any of us. Lead the way."

Sprocket brightened. "Okay! This way," he said. Everyone followed him into the building.

Andie pushed aside the flashbacks trying to enter her mind as they walked through the house. Because of the abuse she'd suffered in her childhood, Andie had serious PTSD issues at times, but this was important. Somehow, she would be strong. She could freak out later, after Kimberly and the baby were safe.

Suddenly, Sunny began squeaking. She pushed something toward them urgently. "What's that?" Andie asked.

"It's still here!" Sprocket said in shock.

"What is it, Sprocket?" Greg asked.

"This is mine... Mora has one, too. I made them so we could communicate across the house. It was a way to play together." He paused. "I bet she still has hers. I can use this to contact her and find out where they went!"

"It's too dangerous, Sprocket," Greg protested.

"I want to help."

"Mora could use it to lure you into a trap," Darcy agreed.

"She won't. Mora's my friend. I know she won't hurt me."

"Mora is an unstable psychopath," Vida argued.

"But she likes me. And that means she won't hurt me. Please let me try."

"Okay," Andie said softly. "In a safe setting, and you don't go see her without backup. I promised we'd protect you from Zell, and we will."

Sprocket nodded. "I promise we'll do this the safe way. Thanks for finding this for me, Sunny." He touched her head gently. Sunny was obviously pleased with this.

"She's a helpful little thing, isn't she?" Nessa asked. She smiled at Sunny, clearly fully won over now.

"We should go," Greg said. "I don't think we'll find anything else. This is our best lead, so let's find somewhere safe for Sprocket to contact Mora."

"He's right," Vida said. "Besides, this place gives me the creeps." They headed out together, and Andie didn't mind. She was eager to get as far away from that property as possible.

 _ **TOMMY**_

He hadn't slept since finding out Kimberly was missing. Sure, a lot had happened recently. In less than a year, he'd lost his sister. He'd also lost his wife and his daughter not only to death but to the dark side. Losing Kat had hurt, but it hadn't broken him. Losing Casey had broken something that couldn't be repaired and losing Katie had nearly killed him. He'd never be the same. So many Power Rangers had died the same day as Katie, most in an attempt to save him because, _surprise, surprise,_ the bad guys had kidnapped him again. Nearly every team had lost at least one member. Still, Tommy kept going. He _had_ to. He was the reason they'd all risked their lives. He had to be strong for them, like he always was.

He'd faked it well enough for a little while. He was an active Power Ranger again, and he focused on that. Then, Rangers had started dying again. A long-lost son whose conception had been taken from his memory had turned up. Tommy was a father again, and he couldn't handle that. What if he let Micky into his heart and this kid was ripped away from him just like the last one had been? He knew he was messing up with Micky, but maybe that was for the best. Katie had idolized him, and look where that had gotten her. Micky might be better off hating him.

Hayley had been abducted, and he knew Katherine had her. He tried holding onto hope that she was still alive, but every minute that passed made that seem less likely. She'd only been taken because Tommy was so close to her. Like everything else, this was all his fault.

But now... _Now_ , they had _Kimberly._ They had officially gone too far. This was the last straw. Tommy had spent a very long time protecting Kimberly at all costs. He'd been in love with her once, and although that love had changed over time, it was just as strong as it had ever been. She might have gone from being his first love to becoming more like his sister, but the two of them shared a bond nothing else would ever be able to touch... And Zell and his minions had her... _Katherine_ had her. Kat, who'd always been insanely and often irrationally jealous of Kim... Kat, who he was certain would not hesitate to hurt, torture, or even kill Kimberly if given the chance...

It was dark out. Tommy wasn't even sure how long he'd been searching for Kimberly. He _had_ to find her. He'd always jumped up to be Kimberly's hero, and she needed him now more than ever. He couldn't fail her... If anything happened to Kimberly or the baby, that would destroy the last shred of Tommy's sanity.

A voice laughed in the night. "Oh, wow... How sad to see that _this_ is what's become of the _Great_ Tommy Oliver!" A woman said. Her voice and laugh were familiar.

Tommy spun around, ready to fight. He was stunned to see the Pink Ranger in front of him. "Syd?" He asked. "When did you come back? Bridge didn't mention it."

"That's because he doesn't know," Syd replied casually.

"It's dangerous for any of you to be here right now. Doggie knows what's going on. He should have given us a head's up before sending you."

" _Cruger_ didn't send me," Syd said sharply. "The Great Zell moved through the time line and brought me back himself."

"What? Did he hurt you? Are you okay?" Tommy looked her over for any obvious signs of injury, but she looked as glamorous as ever.

"Your concern would touch my heart if I still _had_ one," Syd said, laughing maniacally now. "The answer to your question, Tommy, is _yes._ He _did_ hurt me, to make me stronger... To prove I was worthy. And I passed!" She laughed again.

"Sydney..." Tommy said in horror. "He _turned_ you?"

" _Ding, ding, ding!_ Look who _finally_ caught up! Man, you're _slow_! So, tell me... Are you ready to join us yet?"

"Never." He was horrified. Syd had been a tad flakey at times, but she was an excellent warrior with the heart of a true Power Ranger. Now she was evil, and Tommy wasn't sure what she might do next.

" _I_ said that, too... But I woke up, Tommy. You will, too. We all know there's a little evil in that disgustingly pure heart of yours. I know _all_ about your first run as the Green Ranger!"

"Syd, we can save you. I know what it's like to be turned evil against your will. This isn't you. Fight it."

"Rita Repulsa's spells are _child's play_ compared to the Great Zell's. You don't know _anything._ But _I_ do... I know that I'm _free._ I don't _need_ to be saved, Tommy. And I don't _want_ to be, either."

She attacked him so suddenly, he didn't see it coming. She knocked Tommy down before grabbing a rock and saying, "Fist of Stone!" She brought her very solid fist down against Tommy's stomach. He cried out as the hit connected. As Syd was about to aim for his head, Tommy's training kicked in and he knocked her off of him and rolled out of the way when she tried again.

"I don't want to hurt you, Syd!" He argued.

"Then you'll die," Syd replied with a grin. She came at him again, hitting his head hard.

 _I can't hit her,_ Tommy told himself. _It's Syd... She's not a bad guy, and she's a woman, and the only reason Zell even knew to target her was that she helped save me..._

As Syd said, "Fist of Iron," Tommy knew he was in trouble. She came toward him, her fist literally made of solid iron. He was too tired, weak, and concussed to flee. He was done for.

Suddenly, an ear-piercing sound surrounded them. _Kira,_ Tommy registered. The Ptera Scream had knocked Syd back several feet. She sank to her knees and covered her ears, crying out in pain.

"Isn't that Syd from SPD?" Trent's voice asked. Tommy realized Kira was not alone.

"Did Bridge know she was back?" Conner asked.

"Why'd she attack Doctor Oliver?" Ethan asked.

"Look at her eyes, _Einstein_ ," Kira said. "They're as cold as Zedd's were. Zell turned her."

"I always _knew_ you were the smart one, Kira," Syd said with an evil smirk as she stood back up. "Hi, Dino Thunder Rangers. So nice of you to join us. I _love_ a good fight!"

"Bring it, Bitch," Kira said. In seconds, the entire team morphed. Conner and Kira stood on the front lines against Syd while Trent covered the side. Ethan stood beside Tommy.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Tommy tried to nod, but it hurt. He groaned and said, "I'll be fine."

"Do you guys need me over there?" Ethan asked.

"We've got this. Stay with Doc O," Kira called back. "Don't let him out of your sight."

"Ethan, I'm fine," Tommy insisted.

"No way," Ethan said. " _You_ try not following Kira's orders sometime and living to tell the tale. Besides, she's right. You're hurt, and they've got Syd handled. I'm staying right here." He started trying to patch up Tommy's head injury.

"When did Kira become the team leader?" Tommy mumbled. " _Conner's_ Red..."

"Did you pay _any_ attention to us at _all_ when we were kids?" Ethan asked with a laugh. "Kira's _always_ been the boss. She just lets Conner hold the title. Besides, after she stepped up and led the rescue mission for you, she's more than earned the respect."

"She's getting away!" Trent cried out. "Do we follow?"

"Let the bitch run," Kira said. "We need more help than we've got to catch, restrain, and hopefully fix her. We know she's been turned. We'll come up with a plan and deal with her later. Right now, we need to get Doc O out of here."

"She's right," Conner said.

"Of _course_ I am." Suddenly, the entire team stood beside Tommy. "Are you alright, Doc O?" Kira asked.

"I'm fine. It's just a little bump," Tommy said.

"You're bleeding," Conner argued.

"I think she went all _Fist of Iron_ on him," Ethan said.

"I need to get back to looking for Kim," Tommy insisted.

"That's not happening," Kira said firmly.

"Kira-"

"No. You haven't been home since Kimberly went missing. Your son would have been taken by Children's Services if three other legal adults didn't live in your house. You're wearing yourself too thin. You're going to collapse. You need food, sleep, and a shower."

"Kira, this isn't up for debate!"

"You're right. It's _not_. You're going home, right now, or I'm calling Sage to put you on a magical lockdown again."

"Kimberly is _missing,_ Kira! So is Hayley! I'm _not_ just going to sit around doing nothing while everyone else risks their lives trying to find them… Especially since it's my fault they're missing to begin with!"

"Are you serious right now? Not _everything_ is your fault, Doc O."

"Kat targeted them because they're important to me. In fact, she might go after you, too. I think you should stay-"

"Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence," Kira said sharply.

Ethan, Conner, and Trent took a unified step back from the two of them, realizing this might get ugly very quickly.

"Kira, you're like a daughter to me. Kat might target you," Tommy said.

"And if she does, I'll be ready for her," Kira said.

"No. I'm putting my foot down. You're staying home until we put a stop to all of this."

"Oh wow… Heck no, he did _not_ just go there…" Ethan mumbled.

"Dude…" Conner added softly. "This isn't going to end well."

"Maybe if we back away _very_ slowly, they won't notice," Trent chimed in.

"Excuse me?" Kira demanded. "Where do you get off trying to ground me? I'm not a toddler, I'm not your daughter, and I'm not even your responsibility anymore! Technically, _Adam_ is my current team leader. And even if he weren't, I'm not some damsel in distress that needs protecting!"

Tommy spoke before he could stop to think. "Kira, you are _not_ the one in charge here! You have no idea what it's like to have to be responsible for everyone's safety, knowing every choice you make might get people killed! You don't know what it is to fail your team!"

Kira stopped in her tracks. She wasn't yelling anymore, but the look she gave him was a terrifying mix of furious and hurt. " _I_ don't know what that's like?" She asked softly. "Really? Who the _fuck_ do you think stepped up to run everything while you were gone? Who do you think lives with the guilt of knowing so many Power Rangers died because she asked them to help her?"

"Kira, they died because of _me_ … Because I got kidnapped and they came together to rescue me."

"Because _I_ called them! I'm the one who called all of the Power Rangers to come to that slaughter. I'm the one who activated the Power Ranger phone tree. I trained with them, and planned with them, and tried my best to keep everyone alive, but we still lost a lot of people. I'll never know if that was because of my choices, but I have to live with that. And do you know what _else_ I've been doing? I've been holding everyone together while everything falls apart again! _I'm_ calling people to warn them about the new threats. I told everyone about Kat. I told Andros about Ashley. Do you have _any_ idea how much I didn't want to make that call? But I sucked it up and did it, because even though I never asked for it, you made me your second-in-command as far as the phone tree and everyone came to view me as their leader, so I stepped up and _became_ their fucking leader! You're sitting here every day, feeling sorry for yourself, blaming yourself for everything under the fucking sun, and moping around because, _boo hoo_ , your life fucking sucks. You know what? _Everyone_ lost pieces of themselves in that battle, and we're still fighting! You won't lead, so guess what? _I've_ been leading! Me and Andros ran things while you were kidnapped, and I'm basically still doing it now. It's like we never even got you back! But have I complained about it? No. Because I know what I need to do. I get that you're in pain, and I know you're having issues. You're even _entitled_ to have those issues… But you are _not_ allowed to throw your life away after everyone fought so hard to save it!"

"Kira, _all_ of this is my fault! How am I supposed to live with myself if I can't even save Kimberly? Or Hayley? Or anyone else?" Tommy demanded.

"Oh my God! News flash! The world does _not_ revolve around you, Tommy!"

"Did she just call him _Tommy_?" Conner asked in shock.

"She just called him Tommy…" Ethan confirmed in horror.

"This is _so_ bad…" Trent added.

"I don't care if you have issues. Build a bridge and get the fuck over it! You're Tommy Fucking Oliver! Start _acting_ like it!" Kira shouted.

Tommy stared at her in shock. Suddenly, everything he'd been holding in hit him and he realized she was right. He'd shut down and acted like the world had stopped moving just because he desperately wanted it to… But wallowing in sorrow wouldn't help anyone. If he didn't get his act together, he'd be useless to everyone he cared about.

"Kira…" Tommy took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Don't be sorry," she said. "Be _better._ Be _Doc O._ Knock this emo shit off, embrace your inner strength, and be the hero you've always been… Because I haven't seen _him_ in a long time and I'm sick of dealing with _you_."

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. "Sage? Come get your uncle and ground him until further notice please," she said. She paused for a minute, then hung up. She dialed another number. "Hey, Dustin… I'm not coming home tonight. I need a night away. I'm staying with the boys." She looked at Conner. He nodded. "Thanks, Dus. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you." She hung up. "Trent, stay with him. If he moves before Sage gets here, knock his dumbass unconscious. Conner, Ethan… I need to get out of here."

"I've got you," Conner promised. "Come on." He led her away. Ethan followed behind them.

"You know you _really_ fucked up, right?" Trent asked when they were alone.

"I know," Tommy admitted. He sighed. "That was really stupid of me. Kira's been working so hard to pick up the slack while I've been blaming myself for everything and being useless… In fact, Kira and Dustin are even being better parents to Micky than I am, too. She's right… This has to stop… It's just… I'm so used to everyone relying on me, and I'm used to rescuing Kimberly and everyone else, and… I just… I don't know who I _am_ anymore, Trent. I haven't since Katie…"

"Good. You're being honest. That's a start," Trent replied. "Look… Tommy, I get it. I lost myself for a while when I was a teenager. Do you know how I found my way back? I listened to Kira. And to _you_. I know you can get by this and be the guy we counted on in high school. You just need to get some help."

"Are you suggesting I talk to Necrolai?"

"Her name is Nikki now, remember? But sure, why not? She's been able to help a lot of the others with their issues. She's a professional."

Tommy sighed. "I'll think about it," he said.

"Good, because if you don't do something, Kira's going to kill you herself."

"You're right."

Sage showed up then. "What did you do?" She asked.

"I was an idiot of epic proportions," Tommy replied.

"What else is new?" She offered up a slight smile. "Come on. You're grounded."

Tommy knew better than to argue. His niece could knock him unconscious with magic and have him wake up tied to his bed. He'd prefer to avoid that if possible. He followed Sage obediently as Trent went to go meet up with the others. Tommy just hoped he hadn't destroyed his relationship with Kira forever. He'd never forgive himself if he lost her because he was caught up in his own stupidity.

 _ **KENNY**_

He was trembling when he arrived at the training center. Kenny hadn't eaten in a while, and he'd been searching everywhere he could think of for his mother. The longer she was gone, the worse his anxiety got. Even when Billy and Josh had tried to make him eat, Kenny had found an excuse to escape quickly and go back to looking for his mother after only a couple of bites of food.

"Kenny?" Angie called gently.

"Angie…" He replied. He sighed. "I still haven't found her."

"We're all looking, Kenny. We'll find her soon."

"What if Zell kills her first?"

"He won't."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because Zell has a thing for controlling kids, and Kim's pregnant. He won't kill her while she's still pregnant. He wants the baby."

"Are you sure?"

"Unfortunately, I've got a pretty good idea how his mind works… I'm sure. And I won't let him hurt either one of them, Kenny. I don't know how, but I'll make sure they're both safe."

He took a deep breath and nodded. "I should go back out-"

"Kenny, eat something first. Please. You're making yourself sick."

"It's my _mom,_ Angie."

"I know, but you're not going to be any good to her if you're too weak to fight."

"I'm fine. Look, I have to do this, okay? I'll eat later." He rushed outside.

Angie chased after him. She didn't have to go far, because about two minutes later, Kenny collapsed. When he came around, Angie had wrapped him in a blanket inside of the training center. She was stroking his hair gently. Jayden and Sage stood over him. Dustin was hurrying toward him with a sandwich and water from the Food Station.

"First I had to put Uncle Tommy under house arrest, now you're unconscious?" Sage asked. "Do I need to lock you in your room, too?"

"I just… I can't eat," Kenny said. "I'm too anxious."

Sage softened. "Kenny, I know you're worried about your mom. We all are… But she's still alive. I can feel that much… And I know we'll get her back."

"I'm scared…" He whispered it, ashamed.

"It's okay to be scared, Kenny," Jayden said. "Even leaders get scared sometimes. But it's not okay to make yourself sick. You have to eat and get some rest."

"She needs me… I'm all she has…"

"She's got Billy, and the rest of us. Kim's going to be okay, Kenny… But _you_ won't be unless you stop for a little while and just take care of yourself," Dustin said, nudging the plate of food toward him.

Kenny sighed. He forced himself to take a bite of the sandwich and his stomach grumbled, telling him how badly he needed to eat. "Okay," he said. "I'll eat."

"And get a couple of hours of sleep," Sage said firmly.

"How can I sleep right now?" He protested.

"I'll help you. It'll be okay, Kenny. I promise you, we'll do everything we can to bring Kim and the baby home as soon as possible."

He knew he had no choice. His body had made that much clear. He'd pushed himself too far. "Just for a little while," he finally agreed.

"Okay. Finish eating, and I'll bring you home and help you rest," Sage said.

"I'll keep looking for your mom," Angie promised him. "We'll sleep in shifts, okay?"

Kenny nodded. "Thanks, guys… I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't apologize. You're taking this better than my uncle," Sage said with a laugh. "At least you're letting us help you."

"Is he okay?" Kenny asked.

"He's safe, but he almost wasn't… Don't tell anyone, because Kira hasn't had a chance to tell Bridge yet, but Zell brought Syd back from the future."

"Oh God… Is she… Did he kill her?"

"No… He turned her evil. As soon as we can get our hands on her, I'm going to try to fix her, but she went after my uncle. If Kira and the Dino Thunder team hadn't shown up, he might not have walked away. He has a concussion. I could have healed him, but I think he needs to heal naturally and learn his lesson about running off on his own to play the hero when he has a team to back him up."

"Tommy's always tried to be my mom's hero… You know all of the stories about them as teenagers… Even when he realized my mom was having issues with my father, he wanted to save her, but Mom wouldn't talk and he couldn't interfere much without proof because Kat threw a fit if he tried. He doesn't know how not to be her hero."

"Billy's her hero now," Sage said with a smile. "He slayed her monster. My uncle can't top that."

"That's true… But Mom and Tommy are close. I understand why this made him get stupid."

"Yeah, well, Kira basically flipped on him and put him in his place. Maybe he'll pull himself together now, but until he does, I'm keeping him in the house."

"I pity the people who live there." Kenny looked at Jayden and Dustin. "No offense, guys."

"None taken. I pity us, too," Dustin said with a laugh.

"Tommy's great… In small doses," Jayden added. "But he was there for me when he didn't have to be, and I'd like to return the favor, so I'll try to help him through this."

Kenny nodded, knowing Tommy would be okay as long as he realized he had support. Maybe Kenny should realize the same thing about himself. He finished the last of his sandwich and drank some water before turning to Sage. "Okay. Nap time," he said.

Sage smiled at him kindly. "Good boy. Let's go," she said. She helped him to his feet.

"I love you," Angie told him. "Be safe."

"I love you, too," Kenny replied. "Be safer."

She laughed. "Dork," she said. She kissed his cheek before letting Sage take him home.

 _ **KIMBERLY**_

She'd managed to come up with a plan. Kimberly knew because of the Warlock that only Zell's people could navigate out of the house. Because of this, she had to get one of them to help her. Felina only stayed long enough to force her to eat. The food actually wasn't bad. Zell had made sure they brought her food from Earth, not Eltar, and it was both healthy and tasty. She had almost refused to eat, but she needed to take care of the baby, and that meant not starving herself. Besides, she was pretty sure they weren't going to poison her. She felt pretty strong, despite being locked in a dark room around the clock, and she was ready to try to execute her plan.

When Katherine came to the door, Kimberly wasn't surprised. Any time Zell wasn't watching, she'd come by and taunt her, usually with Mora by her side. Kimberly was counting on that, and Katherine did not disappoint.

"Where the hell is she?" Katherine demanded as she peered into the room. Kimberly had carefully hidden herself in the shadows, hoping to lure her into the room. It worked.

"Right here!" Kimberly said as she jumped out and grabbed Katherine. She used the element of surprise to put Katherine into a chokehold. Adrenaline rushed through her, giving her the strength to trap Katherine in a position she couldn't escape, and soon enough, Katherine blacked out. Kimberly dropped her onto the floor unceremoniously.

"Katherine!" Mora cried in horror.

Kimberly pulled a knife from Katherine's pocket. Mora looked at her with fear in her eyes. "Lead me out of here," Kimberly demanded.

"I… I can't…" Mora replied.

"You're immune to the spell. I _know_ you can get me out of this house."

"What did you do to Katherine?"

"I knocked her unconscious. I can do it to you even faster. Get. Me. _Out_. Of. Here."

"Please… Please don't hurt me," Mora said.

Kimberly knew Mora wasn't really a little girl, but it was hard to remember that as she stood there whimpering. "I won't hurt you if you do what I say," Kimberly replied.

Mora nodded. "O-okay… I'll get you out," she promised. "Follow me."

Kimberly followed Mora, who moved very slowly. "Don't try anything stupid, Mora," Kimberly said firmly.

"I'm just making sure no one sees us," Mora said. She moved slightly quicker. They made it upstairs and nearly to the front door before Kimberly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen.

"What's wrong?" Mora asked.

Kimberly felt moisture hitting her feet and realized what was happening. "No…" She whispered in horror. "Not now… Please…"

More pain hit. Something was wrong. Kimberly fell to her knees. She clutched her stomach. "The baby… It's coming," she said as another sharp pain shot through her.

"You were a very bad girl, Kimberly," a voice said.

Mora's eyes went wide in terror. "Great Zell…" She whispered.

"Mora, my dear… You need not fear me in this moment. Your survival instincts are strong. I know you were simply trying to keep her from harming you," Zell said as he emerged from the shadows. "That is why I shall handle you quickly." He touched her forehead.

Mora collapsed on the ground. "What did you _do_ to her?" Kimberly demanded before crying out in pain again.

"She is unconscious, much like my daughter. She will survive, for now," Zell replied. He shook his head. "I had such high hopes for you, Kimberly. It appears our arrangement has come to an end."

"My baby…" Kimberly whispered.

"The child will survive. _Your_ future, however, remains uncertain. I have no further need of you, my dear. However, if you survive, perhaps I can find a purpose for you. I must tend to my daughter. I shall return to claim your child and see if you still draw breath." Zell left Kimberly lying on the floor.

 _Help us,_ Kimberly thought desperately. _Please, God,_ somebody _help us…_ As more pain overwhelmed her, Kimberly could focus on nothing but trying to survive long enough to protect her baby from Zell.

 _ **ANGIE**_

She was walking through the streets of Angel Grove when she suddenly heard a voice in her mind. _Angeline… Angie, listen to me… Please,_ the woman said urgently.

Angie recognized the voice of her Chosen ancestor. "Morgana?" She asked. "What's going on?"

 _You must save her, Angie. You are the only one who can._

"I don't understand… What do you mean? Is this about Kimberly?"

 _Yes. The property is warded against both Chosen and Power Rangers. None can enter. You, however, are more than simply Chosen. You are the Sorceress._

"I'm not the Sorceress anymore," Angie protested. "She was Merkhet's evil creation."

 _No, my sweet Angie… The Sorceress is still a part of you. Yes, the magic you used was dark, but so was mine. The magic doesn't make you evil. Your choices define who you are… But I need you to tap into that power. You must become more than you are, Angie. You must embrace your dark side instead of fearing it. You come from two Chosen lines, and both were tainted when Zell turned your parents evil. That dark magic formed you… But you are light, Angeline. And if you embrace that dark side, you will come into power unlike any he knows… Neither Chosen nor Ranger, but dark power in a heart of pure light. You can get around the spells because the spells will not recognize you as a threat._

"But… The last time I embraced the darkest magic I have, I did evil things… I hurt innocent people."

 _You can control it now, Angie. I believe in you… And Kimberly needs you._

Angie took a deep breath. "Okay," she said. "For Kimberly."

 _Follow your instinct. It will lead you straight to her. She's in labor, Angie. Kimberly nearly escaped, so Zell sent her into labor… Just as he did to me when I tried to escape from Master Vile._

Now Angie understood why Morgana was so worked up over Kimberly. "I'll save her," she vowed. "Whatever it takes."

 _I know you will, my sweet granddaughter. Go now. Hurry._

Angie began walking urgently. She didn't know where she was going, but it hardly mattered. She knew she was on the right path.

She vaguely heard someone call out, "Hey! What's going on?" She ignored them and kept walking. "Hey! Come on, Little Rita! I can't keep up with you. What's wrong?"

Angie turned around to face Bulk, knowing he was the only one who called her that. "Hey, Bulk… I'm going after Kimberly. I can help her because I'm more than just Chosen or a Power Ranger, so Zell's spells won't keep me out," she explained.

"Well, I'm coming with you," Bulk said.

"Bulk-"

"Look, you're still a kid. You shouldn't go alone. Besides, _I'm_ not a Power Ranger _or_ Chosen, so his spells won't keep me out, either…"

"You have a point, but this is really dangerous, Bulk."

"Which is why you need back-up."

Angie sighed. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Listen, Little Rita… Skull _died_ to save Kimberly, and I'll be _damned_ if I'm going to let that be for nothing."

Angie stopped protesting. "Okay. Follow me," she said.

"Get in my car. It'll be faster," Bulk said. Angie had to agree with that logic, so she followed him to his car and gave him directions as she figured them out.

They made it to a property a short time later. Angie knew they were in the right place. "This way," she said quietly. Bulk nodded and followed her toward the door.

Angie closed her eyes. _I am the darkness. I am the light. I am the power. I am the Sorceress,_ she told herself. Just like before, she felt her power flowing through her. Instead of fighting it, she forced herself to embrace her full power. _I am the Sorceress!_ She thought again. Suddenly, she felt the amulet around her neck growing hot. Morgana's power flowed through her in green spirals until the amulet vanished, and Angie knew she had absorbed the full power. It was almost too much for her. There was _so much_ power, more than she had ever felt before. She forced herself to embrace it, and soon, it felt different. She wasn't struggling to gain control… She was riding the magic and wielding it without any difficulty.

"Whoa… You're glowing," Bulk said.

It was true. Angie was radiating an aura of purple and green. She smiled. "Let's do this," she said. She opened the door, having no difficulty stepping into the house.

"Help…" Kimberly groaned weakly, apparently having heard the door open.

Angie raced toward Kimberly with Bulk right behind her. "I've got you, Kim," she promised.

"Angie? And… And _Bulk_?" Kimberly asked in surprise.

"We're here," Bulk promised. "And wow… The baby's coming! We need to get her to a hospital."

"I can't be moved," Kimberly said before crying out in pain again. "I'm too far along."

"Oh look!" A voice said. "Your friends are here. How sweet."

Bulk and Angie looked up in surprise. "Lieutenant Stone! Thank goodness," Bulk said. "We have to get her out of here."

"Fool," Lieutenant Stone said with a cruel laugh. "I'm here for the child. The rest of you can die."

Angie gasped. "He's been turned," she said in horror.

"Turned? Like… Like your parents were?" Bulk asked.

"He's the one who abducted me…" Kimberly said between gasps for air.

"Kid… You handle Kimberly for a minute," Bulk said. "Let me handle this."

Angie couldn't really protest. Kimberly was in labor. She had to focus on saving her and the baby. As Lieutenant Stone pulled out a weapon, Angie hoped Bulk knew what he was doing.

"Come on, Bulkmeier… Be a man for once in your life!" Lieutenant Stone taunted him. "I'm evil, so destroy me!"

"I'm not going to kill you, Lieutenant Stone," Bulk said firmly.

"You're pathetic! Step up and fight me!"

"Nope. I'm not doing that, either." Bulk shook his head.

"You're a waste of space, Bulkmeier!"

"Listen, Lieutenant Stone. You _never_ gave up on me, and I'm not giving up on you now. You can't change my mind about that. So do whatever you're going to do, but I won't hurt you because I _know_ you're still in there."

"You're a fool, Bulkmeier!"

"You're right… But I'm a fool who's already lost Skull, and I'll be damned if I'm going to lose you, too." With that, he touched something in Lieutenant Stone's back. The Lieutenant collapsed immediately.

"What did you do?" Angie asked in surprise.

"Pressure point," Bulk replied. "I'm not leaving him here, but he wouldn't have come willingly."

Angie had to admit she was impressed. She couldn't voice that, however, as Kimberly screamed in pain again. "The baby's coming… This is it," Angie said, knowing it was true. She threw up a magical barrier to prevent any of Zell's other minions from reaching them.

"Save my baby, Angie," Kimberly said urgently.

"Everything will be okay, Kim," Angie promised.

"No… Promise me… Promise if it's a choice that you'll save the baby."

"Kimberly…" Angie saw the look on her face and knew she needed to hear it. "I promise. If it comes down to a choice, we'll save the baby."

Kimberly nodded. "Oh God… This is it…" She cried out.

"Push, Kimberly," Bulk said urgently. "I was there when all of my kids and even Spike were born. I can get you through this."

Kimberly began to push, screaming in pain as she did. Bulk pulled off his jacket, preparing to wrap the baby in it. About a minute later, with a final push and more screaming, the baby was out.

Bulk quickly wrapped the baby in the jacket after saying, "It's a girl!"

"A girl?" Kimberly asked with a smile. Then, she paused. "She's not crying…" Before she could say anything else, Kimberly's eyes rolled into the back of her head. Suddenly, there was a lot more blood than Angie suspected there should be.

"Kim? Kimberly!" Angie cried in alarm. "Bulk, she's losing too much blood!"

"Little Rita, can you heal her?" Bulk asked.

"Yeah, but… The baby… Is she breathing?"

"No," Bulk admitted.

"Bulk, I… I don't know if I can heal both of them… And… And Kimberly made me promise…" Angie shook her head. She couldn't let Kimberly die. The woman was like a mother to her, and she was the only parent Kenny had. She couldn't let him lose her. How was she supposed to do this?

"Don't worry about the baby. I've got her. I know infant CPR. You focus on Kimberly and do your thing," Bulk said. He put the newborn down and began doing CPR.

Angie turned her attention to Kimberly, knowing that even with the power boost, it would take everything she had to save her. She was rapidly bleeding out. There wasn't much time. Closing her eyes, Angie began to pour all of her energy into Kimberly, willing her to survive. She evened out Kimberly's breathing and began to heal the damage. Then, she willed Kimberly's blood to regenerate just enough that she wouldn't die immediately.

"Come on, Kid… Breathe," Bulk said softly. "Just breathe… Please…" He resumed CPR.

Suddenly, Angie heard the miraculous sound of a baby crying. "Is she okay?" Angie asked.

"She's perfect," Bulk said.

"We have to get out of here. My shield will only hold them off for so long," Angie said.

Bulk nodded. "How's Kimberly?" He asked.

"If we get her to a hospital, she'll be fine."

"Okay… How do we get everyone out? Because I can't leave Lieutenant Stone here."

Angie closed her eyes and cast a simple animation spell on him. "His body will walk but he'll stay unconscious," she explained.

"Whoa… Neat trick," Bulk said with a laugh.

"I'll send him to Zordon at the Command Center. He'll know what to do, and I have a feeling Caius already knows I'm going to do it, so he'll fill Zordon in."

"Cool. Can Kimberly walk?"

"I don't think so."

"I'll carry her. You carry the baby."

Angie nodded, taking the baby from him. Kimberly was still out of it, but she was beginning to stir, and she mumbled incoherently as Bulk picked her up. Together, they left the house and headed to Bulk's car. He carefully sat Kimberly down in the front seat, buckling her up and letting Angie sit in the back with the baby in her arms. They raced to the hospital and Angie knew Kimberly and the baby would be alright.

 _ **BILLY**_

He had been home when the call came in from Angie. Billy woke Kenny up and piled him, Josh, K, and Ziggy into his car before racing to the hospital. Bulk and Angie were in the waiting room when they arrived.

"Is there any news?" Billy asked.

"They're both stable," Bulk replied.

Kenny flung his arms around Angie. "How did you do it?" He asked.

"Morgana led me to the right place," Angie replied. "The rest is a long story, but they're okay, Kenny. The doctors said all of their vitals are strong."

Josh looked deeply relieved. K smiled and leaned against Ziggy, her own relief clear. "Can I see them?" Billy asked as a doctor approached them.

"Your wife is awake and asking for you," the doctor said. "I'll take you to her, and you can see the baby as soon as the exams are finished."

Billy nodded numbly. He followed the doctor to Kimberly's room. She smiled at him weakly as the doctor left them alone. "Kim…" he whispered. He rushed to her side, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm okay, Billy," she promised him. "We both are."

"I love you… I love you so much, Kimberly…"

"I love you, too." She kissed him, and that seemed to relax them both slightly.

"Did that bastard hurt you?" Billy asked.

"Not as much as he could have," Kimberly replied. "He wanted the baby… But to get her, he had to keep us both healthy until she was born."

" _She_ … So it's a girl." Billy smiled. "I didn't ask Angie… I just rushed over here as soon as she told me they'd found you."

"Yeah… I finally have a little girl," Kimberly said with a grin. "We have a daughter."

"We never really settled on a name…"

"I have an idea… A couple of ideas, actually."

"Kim, after everything that's happened, you get anything you want," Billy promised.

"That's good," she replied. "Because the only thing I want is for our family to be happy." She kissed his nose before beginning to tell him her ideas.

Billy listened, nodding along and watching her closely, almost like he was afraid she'd disappear. It took a while, but he finally realized she was alive and safe, and he hadn't lost her. It sank in just as the doctor came in with their remarkably healthy baby girl. As she was placed in his arms, Billy smiled, finally feeling at peace.

 _ **KIMBERLY**_

It took a while before Kimberly was ready to face everyone. The first one at her side was Kenny, who flung his arms around her and struggled not to cry. She didn't call him on it. "I'm okay, Kenny. It's alright," she promised him.

"I love you, Mom," Kenny said softly.

"I love you, too," she replied. She looked at everyone else as Billy placed the baby in her arms. "Everyone… I would like you to meet Billie Angeline Hart Cranston."

"Wait… So she's… _Littlest Billie_!" Bulk cried with delight, causing everyone to laugh.

Angie looked stunned. "Angeline?" She repeated.

"Without you, neither one of us would have made it here," Kimberly said. "Billy and I both agreed we want her to be partially named after you."

"I… I don't know what to say," Angie admitted.

Kenny hugged her, which seemed to relax Angie a bit. "You saved us both, Angie… You and Bulk," Kimberly said. "Which brings us to this… Bulk, will you do us the honor of being Billie's Godfather?"

Bulk's face lit up even more than it had at the baby's name. "Seriously? I'd be honored!" Bulk said.

"You've now saved two of my kids' lives, Bulk," Billy said. "You've more than earned this."

Bulk smiled. "Littlest Billie is going to be the happiest kid in the world," he promised. "I'll do everything I can to make sure of it."

"So who's the Godmother?" Ziggy asked.

"Trini," Kimberly replied. "She's always been close to both me and Billy, so she was a natural choice. Besides, it gives her an excuse to visit more often."

K stepped closer to the baby. "May I hold her?" She asked, surprising everyone.

"Of course," Kimberly said. "You're her big sister."

K smiled and cautiously took Billie from Kimberly's arms. "You have two older brothers, Billie Angeline," she told her. "You'd better be prepared for a lot of overprotective men trying to control your life. Don't worry. I'll teach you to throw a good kick to keep them in their place." She kissed the top of the baby's head before handing her to Ziggy, who was waiting with outstretched arms.

"She's so tiny and cute and beautiful and _oh my gosh_!" Ziggy declared. He smiled down at her and said, "You're one lucky baby, Billie. You've got an army of Power Rangers ready to step up and protect you."

"My turn," Kenny said. He pulled Billie into his arms and held her close to himself, rocking her slightly as he did. "Hi, Billie… I'm glad to meet you, Little Sis..."

Kimberly's heart melted as Kenny held Billie. Josh didn't ask to hold her, but he studied her with a curious smile on his face and didn't seem to mind that she was there. It was a step in the right direction.

When Kenny finally handed Billie back to Kimberly, she smiled at her family. Everything finally felt right again. It had been pretty scary for a minute, but now everything was falling into place. She was back with her family. Billy was by her side, and their baby girl was in her arms. For just this moment, everything was perfect, and that was what Kimberly chose to focus on. The rest could wait until another day.

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _Hey guys! I hope you've been enjoying the story so far. In order to continue it without spoiling the end of_ Go, Go, Wildcats, _I need to finish that fic first. That means this fic is going on a brief hiatus, but don't worry. I think I'll be able to get the other fic finished in a few chapters, and then I'll be back. On the plus side, that means Cassie and Lucas will be able to be included in this fic after all! I refused to leave you guys with a major cliffhanger, so I resolved one of the bigger issues by wrapping up the Kimberly kidnapping angle and getting Lieutenant Stone out of immediate danger before going on hiatus. There's still plenty more to come in this story, and I promise to post a new chapter as soon as I can. See you guys soon!_


	9. Chapter 9

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _I'm back! Thanks for being patient. If you did not read_ Go, Go, Wildcats _and you want to, please read that before you read any more of this fic. There are spoilers ahead! For those who did read it, you're about to find out what became of Laby... And for those who didn't, you're about to meet my favorite Eltarian Rebel. (And find out why B'Danna reacted so strongly to the_ vizu _in the last chapter_.) _As always, I'll do my best to recap things so you understand what's going on even if you didn't read that fic. Enjoy!_

 **CHAPTER NINE**

 _ **LABY**_

He woke up with a massive headache. He couldn't remember most of the night before. Labyrinth was _definitely_ hung-over. He groaned as he opened his eyes and realized he was in his own bed with no idea how he'd gotten there.

"Well, look who finally woke up," Josephine LaFontaine's perky voice greeted him. "Coffee, Sugar?"

Laby flashed the sassy redhead a charming grin and said, "Why, thank you, Josie."

"Water first. Hydrate that hangover away." She tossed him a bottle of water as she made his coffee. After five years, Josephine knew how he liked it... Black with a ton of sugar.

Laby dutifully drank the water and could already feel his headache slipping away. "So what exactly happened last night?" He asked.

"You drank half the bar dry before getting on the karaoke mic and singing that _I'm Blue Da Ba Dee_ song which, for some reason, you seemed to find hilarious."

Laby nearly spit out his water as he started laughing. Being from Eltar, Laby's skin naturally had a blue tint to it, although it was always cloaked while he was on Earth. Even if Laby hadn't been injected centuries before with the Rebellion's cloaking potion that made his skin automatically take on the native pigments of whatever planet he was on, he was a shapeshifter. His skin looked however he wanted it to. Of course, currently, Laby was a handsome thirty-something-year-old white guy. He'd been John Doe for the last five years, a lost soul who'd wandered into a bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana just looking for a drink and a place to disappear. He hadn't planned on staying for so long, but Laby liked New Orleans. It was different. The locals were laid-back Southerners who stayed out of each other's business for the most part and never asked too many questions. The room above LaFontaine's had been for rent, and before Laby could talk himself out of it, he'd moved in. He helped out a bit around the bar most nights, and he had grown pretty comfortable living there.

"Chuck and Jeffrey had to carry you upstairs after you passed out on the bar... _Again_ ," Josephine teased him.

"Sorry, Miss Josie... Can you forgive me?" Laby asked as she handed him his coffee.

"You know I can't stay mad at you, Johnny," she replied. "You're practically family."

Laby stiffened at her words. "I'm not family, Josie," he said firmly. "I'm just a stranger who benefits greatly from your Southern Hospitality." He flashed her a grin.

"You'll explain that tick of yours one day, right?"

"What tick?"

"The way you react whenever you hear the F word."

"The F word is one of my favorite words in the English language," he said with a smirk.

"Not _that_ F word, Johnny Doe! _Family."_

"There's nothing to tell, Josie. I don't have one."

"You know we love you, Johnny. Family don't have to be blood."

 _Blood... Family..._ Laby suddenly flashed back on the last people he'd called family, covered in blood, dead because he had missed the signs...

He grabbed a bottle of whiskey and proceeded to pour a large amount of it into his coffee. Josie watched him with concern. _"Already,_ Sugar?" She asked him.

"It's Irish coffee," he said. "The best cure for a hangover."

"This is N'awlins, Johnny, so I won't say you drink too much... But maybe you oughtta slow down and stay sober for a little while."

"I was sober for at _least_ three hours yesterday." He shuddered. "It was _horrible."_ He smirked at her.

Josie laughed and shook her head. "You are _too much,_ Johnny."

Laby realized the news was on in the background as he saw the television. He suddenly stiffened, knowing that even with his shapeshifting abilities, he couldn't hide how much his skin paled.

"Johnny? What's wrong, Sugar?" Josie asked.

Laby didn't reply as he unmuted the television. "Scientists are baffled by the abnormally high number of strong storms forming throughout California. The systems seem to span a fifty mile radius around Angel Grove, and they appear without warning or detection. They vanish almost as quickly," the reporter said as Angel Grove continued to appear on the screen.

"It's _him,"_ Laby whispered.

"What was that, Sugar?" Josie asked.

Laby moved toward his dresser and pulled out a box of cash. "Take it," he said.

"What's this?" Josie asked in confusion.

"About two year's rent, to make sure you're taken care of... I appreciate everything you and the boys have done for me, Josie... More than you know... But there's something I need to do."

" _Two years?_ Johnny, where are you going?"

"California."

"Will you be coming back?"

"I doubt it, but if I survive... Maybe." He kissed her cheek.

"Johnny, whatever you're mixed up in, we're here for you. Let us help."

"Not this time, Josie." He began packing up the few belongings he kept with him no matter where he went. "I wish I could explain, but the only way to keep you safe is to keep you out of it. Go on downstairs. I'll stop by before I go."

Josie sighed, but she walked away as Laby continued to pack. He had a few weapons, a ton of money, a photo of B'Danna, Draze, Amareese, Flekt, and Tiffani... He tucked that safely inside of his wallet. He never really allowed himself to look at it, but it was important he kept it as a reminder... He owed them that much. He didn't bother packing clothes. Laby could shift into any outfit he liked, and he could always buy clothes when he got to California.

Finally, he pulled out the box he kept his two most sacred belongings in... The talisman Serafine had given to him for protection so long ago, and the bracelet of colorful hearts Tiffani had made for him when she was eleven. He treasured both items deeply. Serafine had been his childhood best friend until the day her brother supposedly murdered her. Ash had died for the crime, but Laby had always suspected Sera's lover had been behind the murder. Unfortunately, no one would have believed that the Great Wizard of Eltar could commit such an act, and Laby had no proof. Then, when Sera and Ash's baby sister Daphne had died the same way a few years after marrying the bastard, Laby had been positive he was right. When it came out that Zell was in fact evil, Laby was not surprised. He couldn't always bring himself to wear Sera's talisman because it made him miss her so much, but he put it on now, knowing he needed it.

He looked at the bracelet and pictured Tiffani's smiling face. His chest ached. He closed the box and packed it away, unable to stand wearing the gift. Tiffani had been dead since 1989, but to an immortal, three decades felt like the blink of an eye. The wound was still fresh, and Laby was certain it would never heal.

 _It_ shouldn't _heal,_ he told himself. _It's your fault she's dead... It's your fault_ all _of them are dead. If you'd just realized Jaybert was too far gone to be saved, they'd still be here._ He shook his head and downed the rest of his coffee before chasing it with the rest of the bottle of whiskey.

Prior to 1989, Laby had never been much of a drinker. He was immortal and stuck at fifteen years old for all of eternity, an accidental result of Sera experimenting on him with too many protection spells at once. She still hadn't fully understood her magic's strength back then. Regardless, being fifteen, Laby actually preferred things like soda to liquor. He'd only consumed alcohol on special occasions or when his cover identity demanded it. Then, Jaybert had gone insane from working with a _vizu_ for over a decade, and he'd slaughtered nearly everyone Laby had loved... Flekt... Amareese... Tiffani, his own daughter... Tiffani, who Laby had fallen deeply in love with, and who gave Laby back a part of himself he'd lost a long time ago... Sweet, gentle, beautiful Tiffani had been stabbed repeatedly by her father and had held on only long enough to die in Laby's arms... And then, Laby had been forced to kill Jaybert. He had desperately wanted to find another way, but B'Danna and Draze had been dying. B'Danna and Draze, who Laby had discovered hiding among the flower children at Woodstock. He'd recruited them to the Rebellion because he longed for friends he could be himself with, and they'd nearly died because of it. Laby had killed Jaybert, the head of his chapter of the Rebellion, his friend, because it was the only way to save B'Danna, Draze, and anyone else Jaybert might have tried to target in his madness. It still haunted Laby. He'd give anything to die and be reunited with them and with the parents he'd lost so long ago, but he was immortal, so he drank until it hurt a little less instead.

 _Get it together, Laby,_ he scolded himself. _You promised Amareese you'd help the boy... You have to find him before it's too late._ He knew he had to protect the kid. He'd find him, then he'd make sure Zell was destroyed, and then he could fade away and vanish from existence again. He _needed_ to do this. He owed it to all of them.

He took his bag and headed downstairs. "Take care of yourself, Josie," he said as he gave her a final kiss on her cheek. "And take care of the boys. Maybe I'll see you again one day."

"I'm going to miss you, Johnny," she said.

"I'll miss you, too... But this is something I _have_ to do." With that, he left the first home he'd had since 1989 and headed to Angel Grove.

 _This is it,_ he thought. _It's time to end that son of a bitch once and for all._ Zell hadn't just killed the siblings Laby loved so dearly... He'd known when he sent Divatox back in time that Jaybert was going to kill everyone, and he hadn't warned them. For that, Laby had vowed to destroy him, and Laby _always_ kept his promises. He'd failed Sera and her siblings. He'd failed the Rebels... This time, he would not fail.

 _ **LACHLAN**_

School was turning out not to be so bad. Lachlan was incredibly bright and picked things up quickly, so he was adjusting pretty well. In addition to that, he spent lunch with Micky. He really enjoyed that. Micky helped make things less lonely for him. He was also really nice and, although Lachlan would never say it aloud, he wasn't exactly unpleasant to look at.

 _He's gorgeous, and you're crushing,_ he thought to himself. He wasn't technically in the closet... He'd told his parents back in the UK that he liked boys, and he'd even been out at school, but starting over in the USA meant he had to come out all over again. It was a lot harder to do when you didn't know anyone around you.

 _It is nearly time, my dear boy..._ The creepy blue man from his dreams said.

"Time for _what,_ exactly?" Lachlan asked aloud as he struggled to stay awake. He was a bit exhausted, and he'd begun falling asleep, which might explain why he heard the dream man.

"Lach? Are you okay?" Micky asked as he sat down beside him at the lunch table.

"Yes, I'm fine," Lachlan replied, smiling excitedly at Micky. "Just falling asleep."

"Sorry I ran a little late," Micky said. "I had to speak to my history teacher."

"It's no worry, Mate," Lachlan replied casually. "You're here now."

"Were you waiting on me to eat?" Micky eyed Lachlan's full tray of cafeteria food.

"I'm not entirely certain this is food," Lachlan said with a laugh.

Micky laughed, too. "Welcome to American cafeteria food. Still, beggars can't be choosers. It's not so bad if you close your eyes. Trust me, it's better than what I ate when I was-" Micky cut himself off suddenly and looked away, embarrassed.

"When you were what?" Lachlan asked gently.

"When I was on the street... It's kind of a long story, but I only met my real father recently. For a little while, I was on my own."

"Did you run away?"

"Basically. Home was... Bad. But I found Tommy, and now I live with him and a few other people who are like family to him."

"So you call your father Tommy?" Lachlan asked, trying to follow.

"He hasn't earned _Dad_ yet. I barely even consider him my parent. I don't think he wants me around. The other three adults in the house take care of me when I really need someone to."

"Maybe you should ask the authorities for help? Things sound bad."

"It's not all bad, Lach. You don't need to worry about me. My... Um... My aunt, Kira, and her boyfriend are really cool, and even their friend Jayden is getting used to me and being cool around me. Tommy just ignores me for the most part, and if he tries to talk to me, he sort of sucks at it. But he's not abusive or anything... It's way better than what I grew up with."

Lachlan's heart ached for him. "Micky... I'm sorry you had to grow up like that," he said softly.

Micky shrugged. "It made me stronger," he replied. "I'm okay, Lach. Really."

Lachlan reached toward Micky and touched his arm automatically, not stopping to think. Micky seemed to take a deep breath at the shock of that touch. Lachlan quickly pulled his hand away, even though he didn't want to.

"Sorry," he said, embarrassed. "I should know better... I'm British. We don't touch people."

"It's okay," Micky said. "You just... Surprised me. And your hand is _really_ warm."

 _Oh, no... I did it again,_ Lachlan thought. He knew he was a bit different. Lachlan seemed to be able to do things other kids couldn't. His Ma had told him he was blessed by the Fair Folk, but Lachlan was positive there was more to it. Still, he didn't have any answers, so he just tried not to do anything too crazy in public. He looked at his hands, feeling like a freak.

"What's wrong, Lach?" Micky asked. He took Lachlan's hands, apparently trying to make him feel better. Lachlan didn't expect the literal burst of red light that sparked between them.

Micky quickly dropped Lachlan's hands in surprise. "What the fuck?" He asked with wide eyes.

Lachlan sighed. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Lach... Did _you...?_ I mean... Do you have magic?"

"Sort of..." Lachlan stared at his feet, hoping his first and only friend in California wouldn't run away.

"Hey... Lach, it's okay," Micky said gently. He used his hand to gently lift Lachlan's chin until he was looking into his face again.

"Aren't you freaked out?" Lachlan asked.

Micky looked around quickly before holding out his hand. Suddenly, a cool breeze surrounded them... Which was odd, because they were inside. A couple of sparks of white light danced in Micky's hand before vanishing.

"Micky...?" Lachlan asked.

"I should be able to do a lot more, but one, there are people around and, two, I'm still training... That was just a basic demonstration," Micky said softly.

"You have magic, too?"

"Yeah... So don't feel bad. I won't judge you. I just didn't expect that to happen when I grabbed your hands."

"I've never met anyone else who could do these things... I still don't understand it... Things just happen sometimes. I can't control it."

"I know people who can help you learn... When you're ready."

"My Ma says I'm blessed by the Fair Folk... Fairies. Where do _you_ get it from?"

"I come from a long line of Shaman. I'm part Native American. Tommy's not into it, but his family is. My cousin Sage is slowly trying to teach me about it."

Lachlan smiled, feeling significantly better. "Don't tell anyone, okay? I'd rather not be the new kid _and_ the class weirdo."

"You're not that weird. I've met weirder." Micky squeezed his shoulder.

Suddenly, someone came storming into the cafeteria. She was clearly furious about something as she spotted Micky. There was an almost physical field of energy around her that made Lachlan shrink away a bit.

"Liza, what's wrong?" Micky asked with concern.

" _Nothing,"_ Liza replied sharply.

"You're not even _in_ this lunch period," he pointed out.

"I needed a place to disappear in a hurry."

"What happened?"

"Nine's here."

Micky paled. "That's impossible."

"Trust me, I thought so, too... Apparently, it's not."

"Pardon me, but... Nine?" Lachlan asked politely.

Liza noticed him and grinned for a moment. "Hot accent. You must be Lach. Liza Campbell. Nice to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well... Forgive me if I'm intruding on something personal, but who or what is Nine?" He asked again.

"Liza numbers her exes," Micky explained.

"Oh, I see... And Nine should not be here?"

"Nine was... Um... _Indisposed_ the last time I saw him," Liza replied. "Which was two years ago. And no, he shouldn't be here. He shouldn't even know where I am."

"Liza, I swear to God, if he gets near you I'll-" Micky began.

"You'll do _nothing,_ Micky," Liza said. "I can take care of myself."

"Not against him."

"You know I'm more powerful than he is... If he pulls anything-"

"If you don't let me take care of this, I'm calling Zedd," Micky said firmly.

"You will _not,_ under _any_ circumstances, call Zedd." Liza looked at Lachlan's confused expression and explained, "Zedd's my current boyfriend. He has no tolerance for people upsetting me... And I don't want to tempt him back to, um... old habits... So if you tell him about this, I'm going to kick your ass, Micky. Besides, I can protect my damn self."

"Liza, he nearly ki-" Micky protested.

"Shut up," Liza said in a tone that told Lachlan Micky _really_ shouldn't finish that sentence.

Micky sighed. "Just stay with us, okay? And when lunch is over, don't go anywhere alone."

"I'll be careful," Liza promised. "And I'll handle him."

"Liza, it sounds like this bloke was abusive," Lachlan guessed. "Do you have a restraining order?"

"Not a physical one," Liza mumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"You're right, Lach. He put his hands on me once. I made him regret that. But it's more complicated than just that... And let's just say that a piece of paper won't keep him away from me."

The bell rang and it was time to go to their next class. "Lach, I'm going to walk Liza to her next class," Micky said apologetically. "I'll catch you later, okay?"

Lachlan smiled at him. "Of course. Lovely to meet you, Liza," Lachlan replied.

"You, too. We should hang out for real sometime," Liza said. She allowed Micky to lead her away.

Lachlan headed to his next class, but he wasn't able to shake his concern for Liza. He got the distinct impression that this was more serious than she was letting on.

 _ **ZELL**_

He stood over the fire, admiring his work. This Ranger of the Flame would make a lovely addition to the team. After all, she had made excuses to skip the previous battle. Perhaps her loyalty had always been more to herself than the Power Rangers. She'd tried to fight, but the flames had burned away what light she _did_ have, and now she emerged from them with a smile on her face.

"Welcome, my dear... To the Rangers of the Flame," Zell said grandly.

"Thank you," Maya replied. "What is my mission?"

"Sydney, my dear... Join us," Zell called.

Syd emerged from the shadows. Her nails were hot pink today and sported flames. Zell smiled at the embellishment. "Yes, Great Zell," she said. She looked at Maya and smirked. "Lost Galaxy. How excellent."

"Maya, Sydney is the leader of the Rangers of the Flame. You are to follow her orders unless I tell you otherwise," Zell said.

"Yes, Great Zell. I understand," Maya said.

"Excellent. Sydney, be a dear and escort Maya to her new quarters."

"Of course, Great Zell," Syd replied. "Come on, Yellow. I promise you'll like your new room." She led the newest member of her team away.

"Now... Onto my other task," Zell said with a smile. "It is time to lure Labyrinth out of hiding." He summoned the last ingredient for his spell. The boy looked at him with frightened eyes. Felina had chosen this one for him and abducted him herself, just as she had with the previous sacrifice.

"Hello, my dear boy," Zell said.

"Who the 'ell are you?" The boy demanded in a thick Cockney accent.

"Ikstanyel of Eltar... You are a fugitive from the law who committed an act of High Treason…"

"First of all, it's Stanny. Second, me uncle was an abusive prick, 'e was! And it was me brother's idea to kill 'im..."

Zell put up a hand to silence the boy. "I do not judge these actions, my dear boy. I am simply stating facts. You have been doomed to a life in hiding because you joined the Rebellion."

"I'm not a part o' that anymore. Sure, the Rebels freed me, but most of 'em left me for dead. If that Power Ranger girl hadna' healed me and gotten me to Captain Smith, I'd be dead."

Zell hesitated. He'd assumed Captain Smith had seen that this boy was no warrior and had rescued him himself. " _Which_ Power Ranger?" He asked, dreading the answer.

"The Pink one... Andie," the boy replied nervously. He seemed to realize now that Zell was not some random government official who'd come to drag him back to Eltar to face life in prison.

"Daphne..." Zell mumbled. Of _course_ she'd saved the pathetic boy. Daphne's heart was too pure. She could never let someone suffer.

The boy tensed. "Did you say...?" His already pale skin grew paler still. "You're 'im... The Great Wizard of Eltar..."

Zell smiled at him kindly. "I am, my dear Ikstanyel."

"St-Stanny..." He corrected him again softly.

Zell sighed. Daphne would not approve of this. "You are right, _Stanny_ ," Zell told him. "Daphne _did_ save you."

"She... She did?" He asked.

"Indeed. I intended to draw this out, however, I shall make it quick instead. A kindness, for my sweet Daphne." He slashed the boy's throat before the boy had time to register what was happening. This was kinder than damning him to a life spent in hiding. Daphne would understand that eventually. Besides, now the pathetic boy's life would have some meaning.

As the boy's blood fell into the flames, Zell began to chant. "A life for a life," he finished. "Return to me!" He tossed the boy aside, knowing his scrawny frame wasn't good for much as far as the needs of the Alchemist but figuring the Warlock might like to harvest some of his organs for rituals.

A body began to form in the flames. Zell smiled, watching as the head reattached itself to the rest. The skin had been burned, of course. The Rebellion always cleaned up after themselves. They had set the entire property ablaze. Perhaps they'd moved the innocents and given them a proper burial... Zell could not be sure... But they had left the man who slaughtered them all behind. Zell used his flames to restore the man's skin, returning him to his former glory. Finally, the man opened his eyes.

Zell smiled at him. "Welcome back, Jaybert," he said pleasantly.

Jaybert smiled at him wickedly. "You kept your word," he said.

"Of _course_ I did, dear boy! You shall be of great value to me... But for now, I must hide you where you shall not be detected until it is time." He opened up a portal. "This shall leave you just outside of town. Food, shelter, and other essentials await you on the property. I shall send for you soon."

"Yes, Great Zell... And Labyrinth?"

"Oh, do not worry about Labyrinth, Jaybert. He shall reveal himself soon enough once he learns of your return. After all, B'Danna still lives, and he will be determined to protect her."

"She _survived?"_ Rage twisted Jaybert's features harshly.

"You should have realized, my friend, that B'Danna of Eltar is a formidable opponent. She does not die easily, however, I assure you she shall meet her end in due time. Now, go. We shall speak again soon."

Jaybert nodded. He gave Zell a respectful Eltarian salute before going through the portal. Zell smiled to himself. All of the pieces were slowly falling into place.

 _ **CASSIE**_

They'd done it. They had stopped Divatox, saved the day, and not destroyed the future. They'd even discovered the Phantom Ranger, lost in 1989, and rescued him. Cassie should have been thrilled, but she already missed the kids. "I have to know, Lucas," she said as the Phantom Ranger focused on driving the ship. "What happens to them?" It had only been a little while, but she was already losing it wondering.

He smiled at her. "Trip sent me the details, and I knew you'd want them, so I decided to wait to read them until we were together," Lucas replied.

"How considerate!" She laughed. "Now hurry up and pull up the information." Lucas gave her the information, and they were both extremely relieved to learn that the kids had all turned out okay. They were happy, functional adults, and Cassie and Lucas hadn't screwed up the past after all!

They arrived in 2002. "This is your stop, Little One," the Phantom Ranger said. "I'm going to leave her where my past self is. He'll get her where she needs to be, in the correct time line." He excused himself to drop off their tiny passenger… The daughter of Dimitria and Bradley Drew, who had to be hidden in the time line to protect her from Zell, who wanted her dead. This tiny infant was the entire reason Divatox had been sent back in time to begin with. Cassie knew the Phantom Ranger would find a good home for her.

"And... What does the future hold for _us,_ Lucas?" Cassie asked when they were alone.

Lucas pulled her closer to him and kissed her. "Hopefully, more of that," he said softly. The last thing Cassie had expected was to fall for Lucas Kendall of all people, especially while she was grieving TJ so deeply, but a lot had changed while they'd been in 1989.

Cassie grinned at him. "I'd like that," she said. She kissed him again. They barely broke apart before the Phantom Ranger returned.

"Krista is safe," he promised. "Zell won't find her until she is destined to face him."

"Great... Now, let's go home," Lucas said.

Cassie smiled. "Since when is my time home to you?" She asked.

"Since it's where you are," Lucas replied.

The Phantom Ranger laughed affectionately. "You two are good for each other," he said.

"Who would have ever guessed, right?" Cassie asked with a laugh. "Come on. I am _so_ ready to go back."

"Present Day Angel Grove, coming up!" The Phantom Ranger said cheerfully.

It didn't seem to take long for them to arrive. As they exited the ship, they were greeted by a familiar voice. "It's about _time,"_ Kira said. "Points for the flashy entrance, by the way. I like the ship."

"Kira!" Cassie cried with delight. She flung her arms around her.

"Welcome back, guys... There's a lot you need to catch up on... Especially _you,_ Cassie..." Kira seemed to be holding something back.

"But _first,"_ a new voice said, " _food."_ Dustin stood before them. He offered up several boxes of pizza. "Jen sent a message that you guys would arrive around now, and we figured you might be hungry."

"Goddamn, I missed you, Dustin," Cassie said with a laugh. She was starving.

"So did I," Lucas agreed. He hugged both Kira and Dustin.

"Who's your friend?" Kira asked.

"That's the Phantom Ranger," Cassie explained.

"Dude, where _were_ you? I tried to call you in for the big battle," Kira said.

"I was stuck in 1989, being held against my will by a group of Eltarian Rebels," the Phantom Ranger said casually. "My apologies, Kira. I'm here now, though."

"Good," Kira said without even blinking in surprise. "We could use the help. Make yourselves at home, guys. I'll let everyone know you made it back safely." She walked away.

"Is she okay?" Cassie asked. "She seems really stressed out."

"A lot happened while you were gone, guys... But it can wait," Dustin said. "For now, just adjust to being back and know we're really glad to have you all here."

Cassie knew something big was coming, but it could be any number of things. She chose to focus on what she knew. They'd accomplished their mission. The kids all turned out okay. The Phantom Ranger and Dimitria were safe. Most of all, they'd made it back safely, and the future still lay ahead of them. Cassie looked at Lucas and smiled. Sure, she'd lost TJ and thought she was completely alone in the world, but as it turned out, she wasn't. Lucas might be a pain in her ass, but he was also her rock. Together, they'd accomplished something she'd thought was impossible, and she knew that as long as he was with her, they could do _anything._ Whatever was coming, they'd face it together, and they'd win.

She raised her can of soda to Lucas and clinked it against his. The Phantom Ranger joined in. She smiled as she proclaimed, "Onto the next adventure!"

 _ **DUSTIN**_

"We have to tell them…" Kira said nervously.

"Not yet, Kira," Dustin said gently. "Let them get used to being back first."

"But Ashley was her best friend, Dustin."

"I know… And that's exactly why it needs to wait. Give Cassie and Lucas a day or so before you tell them."

Kira sighed. "I hate having to be an adult," she said. "It isn't fair… Cassie went into the past to stop Divatox and she comes back to find out her best friend is dead? It's just… It's not okay, Dustin. And I have to be the one to tell her that."

"I could do it, Kira. I don't mind."

"No… I'm the leader, especially since I knocked a certain asshole off his pedestal and back into reality… I can do this. I just wish I didn't _have_ to. It would be nice to get to deliver _good_ news for once, you know?"

"I know. And I'm here for you, whatever you need… I'll support you." He knew how she felt. He refused to let himself think about his team much anymore… Tori and Shane were gone. They'd died right in front of him, within minutes of each other… He closed his eyes to clear his mind, taking a deep breath. He couldn't focus on that right now. Kira needed him, and so did the kids. He had to stay strong.

Kira smiled at him sadly. "You're really the best, Dustin. You know that, right?"

He laughed. "Hardly. But I love you. And I'm just glad to help where I can. You're a great leader, Kira. Just remember to take a breath once in a while."

She nodded. "I will. Come on, Dus… Let's go eat with them."

He led her back to Cassie, Lucas, and the Phantom Ranger. "So… Phantom Ranger…" Dustin began. "What's your deal? Do you ever drop your morph?"

"Not really," the Phantom Ranger replied.

"So how will you eat the pizza?"

The Phantom Ranger's helmet opened up at the mouth, allowing him a way to eat. "Like this," he said with a laugh.

Dustin grinned. "Sweet," he said. "Why all the mystery?"

"Let's just say that things are less confusing if I stay morphed," he said cryptically.

"Whatever makes you happy," Dustin said with a shrug. He began to eat and listened as Cassie and Lucas caught everyone up on their adventure in the past.

 _ **SAGE**_

She detected something... _unusual_ nearby. Sage left her shop in the capable hands of Tanaya, Flynn, and Koda, and followed the energy. What she saw was a man she didn't recognize who stood beside a parked car on one of the edges of Angel Grove. He stared at the border, looking like he was extremely hesitant to cross it.

"Car trouble?" Sage asked lightly, trying to read his energy. _He's Eltarian,_ she realized. The question was, was he a friend or a foe?

He flashed her a charming smile. "Nah, it's not that," he said pleasantly. "Thank you for the concern, though."

Sage nodded. Then, she walked even closer to him. She saw the suitcase in his backseat. "Taking a trip to Angel Grove?" She asked.

"Something like that. If you'll excuse me-"

Sage swiftly pulled out the Dragon Dagger and pressed it to his throat. "I know what you are," she said sharply. "State your business, _Eltarian_."

He laughed, even with a dagger to his throat. "Well, _that_ escalated quickly. Nice dagger, _Shaman_. My sword's in the car if you'd like to see it."

Sage frowned, still not sure what side this guy was on. "Who are you?" She asked, cautiously putting the Dragon Dagger away.

"You probably won't believe me if I tell you my name is Johnny Doe, so let's go with honesty... I'm Laby. _Your_ turn."

"Sage," she admitted. "What are you doing here, Laby?"

He shrugged. "Taking in some sights, visiting someone I love, maybe catching up with some good friends, making sure I play my part in destroying a very evil son of a bitch, buying a keychain or ten... You know, the usual tourist stuff."

"You're here to fight Zell?"

"I am. But I don't want anyone to know that yet, if that's okay. I need to figure out what I'm dealing with before I just reveal myself... Zell can't detect me. I've put up labyrinths around my energy field. _No one_ can find me... I'm not sure how _you_ did... I'm guessing because you're a Shaman."

"Most Eltarians still call us Mystics."

"I'm not like most Eltarians." In an instant, he shapeshifted into an orange tabby cat. He stretched, licked his paw, and meowed. Then, he took his human form again.

"You're a shapeshifter..." Sage said as she processed this. "And _this_ isn't your true form either."

"I'm immortal and will be fifteen forever. But, you know, that's too young to drink, so..."

"Are you drunk _now_?"

"Sadly, no. I realized I need to be sober if I'm going to be helpful."

Sage suddenly sensed great grief and trauma on Laby. She could also feel how pure his heart was. She immediately knew she could trust him and felt like she needed to help him. He'd clearly been through more than anyone should have to face. She gently touched his arm.

"If you're here to fight Zell, then we're on the same side," she said. "There are Rebels staying in town... You're with the Rebellion, right?"

"Not for thirty years," Laby said, "but I was for a long time... My parents helped found it." He tensed suddenly. "He's here..." He mumbled.

"Who? Zell?"

"No... The boy... Lachlan."

"Laby... Who is Lachlan?" She could see the haunted look in his eyes.

"Her son... _Ama's_ son..."

"I'm still not following."

"He's _Zell's,_ Sage. The boy is Zell's. He raped my friend and then made her forget so he could steal the kid. I promised her I'd protect him... And he's _here."_ He was trembling.

Sage felt like the world had flipped upside-down. "Zell has another kid?" She repeated.

"Yeah... One who has the potential to be good or evil... But he's good. For now."

"How do you know?"

"I met him once. He was just a kid, traveling with the parents who raised him... But I recognized him. See, I was drunk in a pub in... Texas, I think... And his parents came in with him. I didn't think much at first, but then he looked at me and started going on about my pretty eyes... I keep them glamoured these days, but in my true form, they look like this." He shifted just his eyes. They were green with golden spirals in the pupils.

"They're labyrinths..." Sage realized.

"Yep... And the kid saw them despite my glamour. So I looked at him and realized that he was... That he was her son. So I asked him if he wanted to see a magic trick, and I looked into his eyes, and I did the only thing I could for him... I gave him clarity, which gave him free will. He was meant to be Zell's puppet... A way to destroy Zordon, in case Katherine failed. But now, Lachlan has a choice... And he's her son... I _know_ he'll choose the light." He paused. "I feel him... Around someone close to you... A relative."

"My twin? Thorn?"

"No... Not that close... A... A cousin, maybe."

"Micky..." Sage sighed. Of _course_ Micky had gotten mixed up with Zell's kid. "Well, then, I'm in. Let me help."

"Sage... This could be dangerous."

"Danger doesn't scare me. I'm a Power Ranger."

Laby smirked at that. "Like Cassie and the kids," he said.

"You know Cassie?" Sage asked.

" _Oh_ yeah. The Rebels I was working with got stuck trying to help Deevs... It didn't end well... For any of us."

"Deevs?"

He laughed. "Divatox. She _really_ hated that nickname... Fucked-up what happened, though... We just abandoned her in the end, on Ja..." He hesitated, not saying the full name.

"What is it?"

"Our leader. He ordered us to abandon her. She got wasted by an infant. It's a long story. And then..." Laby stared at his shoes. "Well, we didn't last much longer than she did."

Sage knew it should bother her that this was one of the bad guys Cassie and Lucas had faced, but there was something so broken about Laby... He wasn't evil. She was sure of that.

"I'll help you with Lachlan, Laby... But tell me what happened."

Laby sighed. "I failed them," he said simply. "They were my family, and they were slaughtered... And Zell _knew_ when he sent Divatox back, but he didn't warn us... He _let_ it happen. And I swear, if it's the very last thing I do, I'm going to see that bastard destroyed." He looked determined even in his obvious grief.

"Come on. I'll have my cousin bring Lachlan to my house. We'll protect him."

Laby nodded. "Thanks, Sage... I was going to do something else first, but... The kid is more urgent."

She got into his car with him and told him how to find her house. She texted Micky to bring his new friend over. She wasn't sure what to expect, but the polite British boy standing before her was not anywhere on her list of guesses.

"Sage, this is Lach," Micky said. "Lach, this is Sage, my cousin."

"Pleasure to meet you, Sage," Lachlan said politely. He paused, seeing Laby. "Wait... I know you..."

Laby was staring at Lachlan. "Um... Laby?" Sage called gently.

"His eyes..." Laby said softly. "He has her eyes..."

"Breathe, Laby," Sage said soothingly, trying to send out energy to calm him while Micky looked at her in confusion.

Laby took a deep breath. "Lachlan... I'm not sure how to approach this," Laby admitted.

"Approach what?" Lachlan asked.

"Laby knows your mother, Lach," Sage said.

"You know Ma? She's a firecracker, right?" Lachlan asked with a laugh.

"Not _that_ mother," Laby said softly. "Lach... You were adopted."

Lachlan's eyes widened. "I don't understand," he said. "My parents never said anything."

"They might not know... Or they're trying to protect you..."

"Might not _know_? If they adopted me, how would they not know?"

"Sage, what's this about?" Micky asked with a frown.

"He's Zell's, Micky... Zell hid him in the future, like he did with Aunt Kat," Sage explained.

"He... He _can't_ be his," Micky said, shaking his head.

"He is," Laby said. "But he's also Am..." He took a deep breath and tried again. "Amareese's... Which means he has a powerful light within him and when he was younger, I made sure he can choose to walk the path of Good."

"Your eyes..." Lachlan said. "You were the magic man with the pretty eyes I met on holiday."

"Yes, Lach... I was trying to protect you," Laby explained. "Which I need to do again now."

"Hang on... You don't want Zell knowing you're here," Sage reminded him. "Tell me what to look for and _I'll_ protect him... And his parents."

"Are they in danger?" Lachlan asked nervously.

"Possibly," Sage said. She didn't want to scare Lachlan, but she couldn't get the image of Caleb's kind, wonderful adopted parents out of her mind. They'd been slaughtered so brutally simply because they'd raised Caleb as their own. She would _never_ let something like that happen again. "I can protect them, Lach. I promise. I'll protect your house later so Zell can't get in."

Lachlan paused. "What does he look like?" He asked softly.

"Evil and always smiling in a creepy way," Laby said.

"This may sound odd, but... Is he... _Blue_?"

"Yes," Sage said. "Have you seen him?"

"There's a man in my dreams... He talks to me... I cut myself in the first dream and then he was there..."

"Shit!" Laby said. "He found him..."

"Did your body bleed, too?" Sage asked.

"I can't remember..." Lachlan replied. "Is this why we moved here? My dad's not the spontaneous sort, but all of a sudden, he swore we _had_ to move..."

"That sounds like Zell put it in his head," Sage said. "I'll make sure there aren't any other _suggestions_ hidden in his mind."

Lachlan looked appropriately terrified. "What does he want from me?" He asked.

"To control you," Sage admitted. "But we won't let him."

"He... He scares me a bit, but I'm also drawn to him."

"The fear is a good instinct."

"You said you know my mother," Lachlan said to Laby. "Where is she?"

Laby stared at his feet. "She died, Lach... I'm sorry. She's been gone for almost thirty years," he said. Sage saw the tears Laby tried to hide. She didn't call him on it, but she touched his arm soothingly. "She only found out about you the day she... Anyway, she made me promise to find you and help you. It was her last wish, and I'll be damned if I let her down again."

"So she's... She's dead, and my father is... Evil? Okay... Okay, I think I'm following..." Lachlan said.

Micky moved closer to Lachlan protectively. He put a hand on his back. "It'll be okay, Lach. We're here for you... We'll get you through this," he said.

Lachlan visibly calmed down. He nodded. "Okay," he said. "So what happens now?"

"Now, I clear that bastard out of your mind," Sage said pleasantly. "And Micky orders food." She handed her cousin her debit card. "Your choice. We're going to be at this for a bit."

Micky rushed off to order the food. Sage set to work on Lachlan, allowing Laby to help her figure out what she was searching for. Three hours later, Lachlan was free from whatever Zell had done in his dreams. His ability to choose for himself was stronger than ever. All she needed to do now was protect his family.

"Laby, stay here," she said. "No one will find you here. Troy's with Nessa tonight, and I'll make sure Koda and Zedd don't bother you... But you need to get some rest."

He nodded, clearly exhausted. "Okay," he agreed, "but only until the morning. There's something I need to do."

"Alright," she agreed. "I'll be back in a bit. Make yourself comfortable." Sage headed out, knowing there was a lot more to do. Her To Do list never seemed to end, but at least she'd begun to delegate more. Lachlan, however, was too important to leave for anyone else. Not only was he Zell's son, but Sage saw the way Micky looked at the guy... Her cousin clearly had feelings for him which went beyond friendship, and Sage was pretty sure it was mutual. She'd protect him just as fiercely as she protected Caleb. She just hoped that it would be good enough…

 _ **LIZA**_

She was supposed to be heading to training, but Liza's portal had led her somewhere else instead. She was in a secluded wooded area. "Son of a bitch..." She mumbled. "Alright, Asshole. Just fucking show yourself," she said. She wouldn't say his name. Names had power, and he had more than enough of that already. Using his name could draw him to her, and if she was wrong and she'd just miscalculated her portal because of stress, she didn't want to summon him. That was why Liza numbered her exes... It kept her from calling them back into her life.

Nine had once been part of her parents' circle of evil. He had been so powerful that his magic even affected Liza. She'd thought she was in love with him when she was fourteen. He was charming and seductive and two years older than her. The moment he'd come to town, she'd fallen for him. She couldn't really say no to him. He made her do things in rituals that she shouldn't have been doing, using her power for himself, and she couldn't fight him. The day he hit her, however, his hold on her instantly broke. Liza was a Campbell. She would not let some guy put his hands on her. She'd broken up with him. Two days later, he had tried to kill her. Liza was fifteen and still developing her full magic, but she had tried to defend herself, and she'd nearly succeeded until he gave her a serious head injury that briefly cut her off from her magic. If Micky hadn't found them, Nine would have killed her. Instead, Micky used his super strength and he'd killed Nine. Micky was horrified by the murder, but he knew it had been the only way. Liza had helped him do a ritual to destroy Nine's body. That had been the end of it… Until now.

Suddenly, hands wrapped around her throat. Liza struggled, but she couldn't free herself. A hard muscular body she knew entirely too well was pressed against her. "Back the fuck off, Bax!" She cursed at him.

"Still such a dirty mouth, Baby..." The asshole named Barry "Bax" Bannon said.

"Call me 'Baby' again and I'll destroy you for _real_ this time," Liza said sharply before zapping him with a little bit of magic.

Bax cursed and released her. Liza was ready to try to portal away when Bax flung her through the air using his magic. She hit a tree hard and her abilities suddenly refused to cooperate with her. _He's expecting Girly Liza who has no Martial Arts training,_ she told herself. She'd known how to fight before, but as Jayden had called her style, it was "mean girl in a street fight." Liza had actual training now. She could take this asshole... Hopefully.

She wanted to go for her communicator, but she couldn't reveal her new identity to Bax. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed a number before tossing the phone aside where Bax might not notice it. "Stay the hell away from me, Bax!" She shouted. "I'm _warning_ you!"

He laughed. "Oh, Liza... Your friends can't help you now, but nice try." He snapped his fingers and her cell phone burst into flames.

"Dick! you owe me a new iPhone," she said dryly. It had been worth a try. With any luck, someone had at least picked up and heard her before he did that.

"We need to talk, Liza."

"I think I made it pretty Goddamned clear the last time I saw you that I'm not interested in anything you have to say."

"Oh, you'll want to hear _this..._ Trust me."

"Never again."

He laughed before grabbing Liza's arm and pulling her to her feet. She'd been counting on that. She used his own motions against him, bringing her leg up to kick him in the head. She followed this up with several other moves she hoped would have made Jayden proud. When she stopped moving, Bax was on his back.

Liza took a deep breath. _Xia, an assist would be awesome right now,_ she thought before beginning to open a portal to escape.

Bax was suddenly on her. He'd moved impossibly fast, and she couldn't get him off of her as he knocked her to the ground.

"The Power Rangers have taught you new tricks," he said coldly.

Liza stared at him. "What are you talking about?" She asked as though she were clueless.

"You're still a terrific actress, Liza... But I know what you are... Another Goddamned Campbell Sorceress, and a fairly newly-minted Power Ranger..."

"Who _are_ you?" Liza demanded, realizing Bax was much more than he'd seemed.

He grinned at her cruely. _"Vide piel virit. Bizzeh mada alebates!"_ He proclaimed.

Liza didn't understand the words, but they weren't Latin... As far as Liza knew, the only language besides English that Bax spoke was Latin, which was used in a lot of spells, and maybe some Celtic phrases. This didn't sound like that, either.

She repeated the phrases in her mind, quickly analyzing the pattern of sounds. She was an actress, and she was good at detecting accents and languages... This one was vaguely familiar... Suddenly, Liza felt chills shoot through her as she realized why she knew it.

"You're Eltarian..." She said softly.

Bax laughed. "You _finally_ figured it out!" He said. He mumbled something... A spell of some sort... Liza could feel the magic, but she didn't understand the words until she realized she couldn't move. As much as she didn't want to panic, she was starting to. Bax had once put her through a special brand of hell. She didn't want to revisit that.

Bax began tearing at her clothes, hungry to expose her flesh. Liza bit her lip to keep from screaming as he bit her neck like some sort of vampire. She could feel blood dripping down from the wound.

"Listen, _Edward Cullen,_ I'm no _Bella Swan,"_ she said. "Keep your fucking teeth to yourself." If she could just break his spell, she'd be able to fight back. She focused, calling on Galaxia and every Campbell she could think of. Maybe if she called enough Campbells, Taylor and Tia would realize she was in trouble and show up. This asshole was strong, but multiple Campbells working together were a lot stronger.

The paralysis broke. Liza yanked his long hair hard until he screamed. Then, she kneed him in the groin. _Sorry, Jayden,_ she thought. _Once a mean girl,_ always _a mean girl... When in doubt, pull the hair and go for the nuts._ This gave her a chance to escape from him.

She hit the button on her communicator and said, "Guys! I need backup and I have no idea where I am!"

Bax paused for a moment. "You think your pathetic friends will protect you?" He asked.

"I _know_ they will," she said. "Oh, and... A girl's gotta have her accessories," Liza said. She pulled out her morpher and cried, "Saber-toothed Tiger!"

Bax stared at her. "I know," Liza said. "I look _damn good_ in Yellow." She kicked him hard in his head before he recovered and began going back at her.

"Your head injury should have prevented this..." He mumbled.

"I'm not as weak as you think, you bastard," Liza informed him.

"No matter... Your friends cannot get by my magic. They will be stuck on the perimeter. It keeps Power Rangers out. And your message cannot get out, either. The spell blocks communication."

"So you're recycling Zell's spells... Poor Bax. Can't get it up on your own, huh?" _Crap,_ she thought. She was on her own.

 _Calling all Campbells,_ she thought desperately. _Now would be a great time to show up._

Bax tossed some sort of device toward Liza. It exploded, knocking her out of her morph. She couldn't see straight. Blood dripped down her head as she tried to recover. Bax had her on her back again. Liza knew she was too hurt to fight him now. She tried to remember how to hurt him, but her mind refused to cooperate with the rest of her body. He bit her again and the fuzziness in her mind got even worse.

Suddenly, magic filled the air. Bax screamed and jumped away as flames shot up around Liza. _Brian?_ Liza wondered. It didn't feel like him, though.

"Still picking on teenage girls, you vile, rubbish cretin?" A voice demanded.

"This is none of your concern, Kizzie," Bax practically spat out.

Suddenly, he was being kicked and beaten by an impossibly fast figure. Liza realized it was another Eltarian. "I _told you_ if I ever caught you trying that on another girl I would remove your head from your body!" The Eltarian said sharply.

"B... B'Danna of Eltar... I did not expect to encounter you here," Bax said nervously.

"Clearly," B'Danna said, holding a sword steadily against his throat.

Before anyone could do anything else, Bax vanished. "That was a bitch move!" B'Danna shouted after him.

"Are you alright, Luv?" Kizzie asked softly.

Liza blinked at her, not fully understanding her words. "Luv?" Kizzie called again. "B'Danna, I believe the girl is concussed... This is one of the Power Rangers, is it not?"

"The Yellow Legacy... I believe they call her... Lisa? No, _Liza,_ " B'Danna replied. "The one who is dating Lord Zedd." She removed her jacket and wrapped it around Liza, allowing Liza some dignity as she covered up her torn shirt.

Kizzie was healing Liza with magic. "It's alright, Liza," she said soothingly. "You are safe now."

"He... He's Eltarian..." Liza said, trying to force her brain to work properly and process that.

"He is, yes," Kizzie confirmed.

"A Rebel. He's... He's a Rebel. The things he said are some of the mantras... It's why they were familiar."

"He's a piss-poor excuse for a Rebel," B'Danna said. "The guy's been an ass for over a century."

"Over a century…" Liza repeated. _Sixteen years old my ass,_ she thought. Apparently, he'd been a lot older than that when they'd met. "You're Rebels..." Liza said, still working things out as she looked at Kizzie and B'Danna. Why couldn't she get herself to think straight?

"We won't hurt you, Luv," Kizzie said soothingly. "The New York New Jersey Chapter does _not_ stand for that sort of behavior. We hold honor above all things."

"I... I feel strange..."

"Kizzie... Look at her neck," B'Danna said.

Kizzie shifted her focus to Liza's neck. "Oh, that bloody _bastard!"_ She cursed. "B'Danna, get Lido to me, and then alert Captain Smith at once that Baxzon is here and has access to _fieztone._ "

"Can you cure her?"

"I believe we arrived in time. Hurry. I need Lido's assistance urgently. Have him bring the ingredients for a remedy."

"Of course," B'Danna said. She hurried off.

"Am I dying?" Liza managed to ask.

"Yes," Kizzie admitted. "You have been poisoned, Liza, with a powerful toxin from Eltar. Lido has many herbs, however. I believe I can blend a cure in time to save your life."

"He bit me... How come it didn't kill him?"

"He must have been granted immunity. Clearly, he is working with the enemy."

Lido arrived shortly after with several herbs. "Liza..." he said with concern.

"Bring me the ingredients, Lido," Kizzie said.

Lido handed them to her. Kizzie began preparing the remedy. "Who has done this to you?" Lido asked Liza.

"My ex... Bax..." Liza said. "He... He's Eltarian... A Rebel... But not like you guys... Like the others..." She began to cough. Blood came up and Liza nearly started crying. She _hated_ it when she coughed up blood.

"Why would Bax attack her?" Lido asked.

"She is a Power Ranger," Kizzie said. "And Lord Zedd loves her. That is reason enough for Zell to want her destroyed." She began applying the antidote to Liza's neck. Soon, she felt less confused. She was no longer dying, and as Kizzie resumed healing her, Liza felt her strength return.

"Thank you," Liza said softly. "I expected my brother and sister to come, but I guess my magic didn't call them. How did you find me?"

"Honestly, I simply had the sudden urge to go for a walk in the woods. B'Danna insisted on accompanying me... She gets restless if she is cooped up in the house for too long."

"Well, I'm lucky. I guess Bax wasn't expecting Rebels to save me."

"We are here to help," Kizzie said. "I'm just glad you're alright, Luv."

"Liza... Shall we alert Zedd?" Lido asked.

Liza considered this. More than anything, she wanted to be in Zedd's arms, but he'd be furious if he figured out someone had hurt her so badly. "If you guys can just ground me enough that I can open a portal, I'll head to training. I'll be safe there, but somehow, Nine jacked my portal before," she said.

"Nine?" Lido asked.

"I number my exes... Names have too much power."

Kizzie smiled, and it lit up her eyes. "You're a wise girl, Liza. Come. I shall help you open the portal. He would not _dare_ interfere with one of _mine."_ She took Liza's hand and helped her.

Liza soon found herself outside of the training space. She took a deep breath and wished she'd thought to change her clothes. Seeing as how she was still recovering, Liza didn't want to use magic to manifest new clothing, so she zipped up B'Danna's jacket and stuck her head inside.

Taylor immediately ran to her, closing the door so they were both outside and away from the others. "Are you okay? I had a bad feeling, and I tried to call, but you didn't pick up," he said. "Tia was feeling it, too." He paused. "That jacket's not your style."

"No, but I kind of like it," Liza admitted. "It's B'Danna's."

"Wait, as in the Eltarian Rebel? Why are you wearing her jacket?" Taylor reached out to touch her arm. Immediately, rage flashed on his face. "I'll _kill_ him. Who is he?" He demanded.

"I'm okay, Taylor," Liza promised him. "Nothing happened... Kizzie and B'Danna found me. They chased him away and healed me."

"Liza, this asshole tried to-"

"Shhh! I'd rather this not make the ten o'clock news, thanks. Yes, he tried. But he didn't succeed. I'm okay."

"He needs to pay."

"And he _will,_ Taylor... But please don't tell everyone. This is my problem. I'll handle it."

"Not alone."

She sighed. "No. Not alone. Micky knows what's going on, sort of... It's just more complicated than we realized. And I... Damnit, I need to tell Zedd before he just figures it out like you did."

"You're about to get your chance." Taylor motioned toward Zedd, who had just arrived. "Good luck, Sis." He walked back inside.

Zedd took one look at Liza and rage flashed on his face just like it had on Taylor's. Then, he wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair soothingly. Liza hated that she felt tears in her eyes. The shock had worn off, and now she was just relieved and exhausted.

"Tell me his name and I will _end_ him," Zedd promised softly.

"Nine," Liza said. "At least, that's what I call him now... He's my ex, Zedd... And, as it turns out... He's an Eltarian Rebel."

"I sensed you were in danger, but it was hard to find you... How did you escape?"

"Kizzie and B'Danna saved me... And Lido gave Kizzie herbs to cure me from a poison."

The marks had healed and vanished, but Zedd touched the area Bax had bitten, knowing somehow where it was. He gently kissed her neck where Bax had poisoned her, sending chills down Liza's spine... The _good_ kind this time. She clung to him, needing to feel him now.

"Does he live?" Zedd finally asked.

"He escaped," Liza admitted. "The thing is... He was dead before, Zedd. Micky killed him to save me two years ago. I helped him cover it up... But now, he's back."

"Zell..."

"Obviously. So who knows if he's immortal now or what? Anyway, the point is, he's working for that asshole."

"I'll protect you, Liza. I swear it."

"I can protect myself, usually, but I know you will... I should have listened to Micky and contacted you as soon as I saw Nine... He's harder for me to fight back against. He always has been... I just didn't think he was part of all this."

"Liza... I love you. I will _always_ defend you."

She smiled before kissing him. "I love you, too... Can you take me home? I don't think I should train today with everything that just happened."

"Of course." He kept his arm around her as they walked away together. Finally, Liza knew she was safe... At least for the time being.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **LABY**_

He'd woken up very early. Now, Laby sat in the one place that was the hardest for him. "Hey, Beautiful," he said softly as he placed fresh flowers on a grave. He knelt beside it, tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry I stayed away for so long, but… I'm here now."

He traced the letters on the headstone with his index finger, unable to hold back his tears or his grief. "I miss you, Tiff…" He whispered. It was so hard to say her name… But he owed her that much.

The grave was well-tended, of course. He had spent a lot of money to make sure that fresh flowers were left for her every day, and the grass was tended to, and the headstone and statue beside it were kept in perfect condition. The angel statue looked a bit like Tiffani, and it was hard for Laby to look at it even though he'd been the one to create it. He hoped it had given her comfort in her final resting place.

He'd brought Tiffani to Angel Grove to fulfill a promise he'd made to her. She'd begged him to take her there after she heard Divatox talk about the town. She'd fallen in love with the name and the idea of a place where angels lived. Laby had sworn he'd bring the beautiful fifteen-year-old girl to the town as soon as it was safe… That day had never come. Instead, Tiffani's father had gone insane and killed her, and she'd barely clung to life long enough to die in Laby's arms. Sure, he'd slipped into her mind so she saw nothing but the two of them traveling the world together and felt no pain, but he couldn't save her life. Laby was a lot of things, but he wasn't a healer. After everything was over, the only way to keep his promise was to bury her in the one place she'd wanted to escape to.

Laby broke down. He cried harder than he'd cried in a long time as he curled up on her grave. He tried to get it out of his system, but he knew there'd always be more tears for her. He could never heal from this wound.

"I love you," he said softly when he was finally slightly calmer. More than anything, Laby wanted a drink, but he had to stay sober. He knew that. He sighed, making sure her grave was in perfect condition, with no grass or dirt covering any of it. He kissed his fingertips and touched them to her headstone before standing up. He took several deep breaths before he was able to convince himself to walk away.

 _ **FELINA**_

She knew what she felt, but she couldn't understand it. Finally, Felina went to Zell to ask him. "Great Zell… The sacrifice yesterday… Who did you bring back?" She asked softly.

"Why do you ask, my dear?" Zell asked pleasantly.

"I am simply curious… You did, after all, request an Eltarian as your ingredient."

"Yes… An Eltarian sacrifice was stronger for what I needed."

"You brought back an Eltarian, then?"

"I did indeed, my dear. It is alright, Felina. Ask me what you really wish to know."

She paused. "I sensed… I sensed Jaybert. Am I imagining this?"

"No, my dear. It was, in fact, Jaybert whom I resurrected."

Felina felt a bit sick for an instant. "I know you are wise, of course… However, I must ask… Why did you bring back a man who went mad?"

"Jaybert was not mad, Felina. He was simply a man who would stop at nothing to gain power. I share that value."

"Of course… However… Jaybert is not the loyal sort. He slaughtered his Chapter."

"Yes, he did. And that, too, is of use to me. He is ruthless. I need that. I also know that his return shall draw someone out of hiding, and that is of great value to me."

"Draw someone out of hiding? Who?" Felina paused. "Wait… You're searching for Laby?"

"Labyrinth is someone I very much want on my side, Felina, my dear. I cannot accomplish that until I locate him, and I fear he went deep into hiding after the slaughter."

"Laby was devastated, Great Zell… He lost everyone he loved that day."

"Indeed he did, aside from two children who managed to escape with his aid."

"B'Danna and Draze… But Draze perished during the attack on Eltar."

"Yes, which means Laby will do _anything_ to protect B'Danna. When he senses she is in danger, he will show himself."

Felina nodded. "Of course, Great Zell," she said. She never questioned Zell, but Jaybert was a maniac. He was dangerous to have around. He'd even murdered her dear friend Amareese. Felina had very few people she considered true friends, but Amareese had made the list. She'd grieved her death deeply.

 _Do not doubt him. He has a plan,_ she reminded herself. She needed to focus.

"One more thing, Felina…" Zell said.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Did you know that the boy you brought to me was rescued by Daphne?"

Felina threw blocks up around her mind as she said, "I did not. I knew only that he was a traitor to the Rebellion. He used us to escape from prison, but would not stand with us when it counted." She _had_ known Andie saved the boy, of course. That had been an added bonus of ensuring his pathetic life was brought to an end. She knew Andie would hate it and be very upset whenever she found out.

"Do not lie to me, Felina. It is a waste of your energy," Zell said with a frown.

"I… I am sorry, Great Zell," she said, not looking at him.

"Do not do something like that again. You _will_ regret it. I am trying not to do things which would upset Daphne. You know that. I shall not forgive a repeat offense. Do you understand?"

Felina was trembling as she nodded. "I do. I am sorry, Great Zell. It was foolish of me. Please, forgive me."

"Of course, my dear. Run along now." He waved his hand as if dismissing a small child who'd needed to be scolded.

Felina rushed out of the room. She knew Zell was furious with her, but he would rather leave her with her fear of punishment than actually harm her. She would have to refrain from crossing him again. It had been foolish. She should have known he'd find out, but she hated Daphne so much… Hurting the girl's current incarnation had been too tempting to pass up.

Felina went downstairs to check on the prisoners, knowing Zell would leave her alone this time if she kept up with her responsibilities.

 _ **OLLIE**_

Something was coming… He could feel it. Ollie looked up, expecting trouble to appear, but instead, he spotted someone he hadn't expected.

"Uncle Lee?" He asked. He ran to his father's uncle's side and hugged him. "I didn't know you were in town!"

"No one does right now," Lee Scott replied. "It's good to see you, Kiddo. How's your dad?"

"He's doing better," Ollie said. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I'm keeping an eye on things… It's sort of a long story… Let's just say that I knew I had to be in town yesterday, and I'm waiting to see if it's time to call a couple of my friends in."

"That's cryptic… Is everything okay?"

"Everything's great. Can I buy you lunch?"

"Sure," Ollie said with a grin.

"Great. Come on. I'll call your dad later." Lee led him away.

They were eating their meal in a booth by the time Ollie spotted a couple of familiar faces. Lee smiled as he saw them. "Excuse me for a second," he said, standing up and walking over to them.

Ollie was confused at first, and he couldn't resist slipping into the shadows to get closer and listen in on their conversation. There was hardly anyone around and no one was watching him anyway. He quickly realized what was happening. "So you made it back," Lee said. "I _told_ you we'd be here… But I wanted to check it out myself first, to make sure it was safe."

Cassie and Lucas exchanged glances before really looking at him. "Lee!" Cassie said. She flung her arms around him. "Look at you! You're all grown up!"

"It's damn good to see you guys," Lee said.

"It's good to see you, too," Lucas said, hugging him as well.

 _Holy shit,_ Ollie thought. _Uncle Lee's one of Cassie's Power Rangers!_ He quickly slipped back into the shadows, reappearing in the booth.

When Lee finally returned to the booth several minutes later, he acted like nothing had happened. Ollie didn't say anything as he processed the fact that his uncle had apparently been a Red Ranger before his father ever was. Somehow, Ollie knew Lee had been Red. It ran in the family, after all.

 _Oh boy,_ he thought. Ollie had a feeling things were about to get _really_ interesting.

 _ **CASSIE**_

After lunch, Cassie headed to meet up with Kira. Lucas went with her, and as soon as Cassie saw the look on Kira's face, she was grateful to have him there.

"Cassie… We need to talk," Kira said with a sigh. "I can't put this off anymore… I know you're planning to go see Justin."

"Of course. I've been dying to check on him, but I was too exhausted to even try yesterday," Cassie replied.

"Look… Something happened, Cassie… And it's really bad," Kira said.

"Is Justin okay?" She was terrified to ask, but she had to know.

"Physically, Justin's fine. He's been staying home around the clock, but he's safe."

"Why's he back in hiding? I thought he was doing better…"

"Cassie…" Kira sighed. "It's Ashley, Cassie. Something happened to Ashley."

Cassie paled. When she'd been stuck in the labyrinth of fear before they destroyed Divatox, she'd seen everyone on her team dead… TJ… Carlos… Ashley, and Justin… Carlos was really dead and had been for a bit. Seeing TJ had nearly broken her, but then his spirit had gotten through to her… The _real_ TJ had helped her escape from the trap. She'd told herself that Ashley and Justin were fine, but in her heart, she'd sensed something was wrong.

"Just tell me, Kira," she said softly. "I can take it." Lucas squeezed her hand. Cassie clung to him for dear life.

"Katherine's back, Cassie. Zell brought her back, but to do it… He had to sacrifice someone."

"No… Not Ash…" Cassie whispered.

"Not exactly… Felina, this bitch witch Eltarian Rebel, decided to use Jodi… And Ashley must have tried to protect her daughter…"

"Oh God… Oh God, not Jodi… Please… She's just a kid!" Cassie said in horror.

Lucas tensed, and Cassie knew why. His wife and daughter had been slaughtered before the battle to save Tommy, and he hadn't told anyone. Only the Time Force team had known the truth, and it had taken Cassie nearly destroying the future with a single, poorly thought-out note meant for a very young Jason to get Lucas to tell her what had happened to them.

"I'm so sorry… It's awful, and I wish it wasn't true, but… Yes, Cassie. Felina killed Ashley, and then Zell sacrificed Jodi to bring back his bitch daughter. And it gets worse… Justin found Ashley. Which is why he shut down. He went into shock. Sage found him and took care of everything from there."

"Justin… Oh God…" Her heart broke for him. Cassie turned to Lucas, not wanting to ask what she was thinking. "Lucas… Did you…?" She asked.

"I didn't know, Cassie," Lucas replied. "I swear to you. Jen only told me that the people in the present were dealing with the Rebels, too. She wouldn't tell me anything that would jeopardize the mission."

She believed him. "Okay," she said. She took a deep breath. "This sucks… This sucks _so_ fucking bad… But Justin's broken, and I spent enough time in 1989 being a hot mess… It's time to be the one who has my shit together. Excuse me." She stood up and walked away, needing air.

It didn't surprise her when Lucas followed her. "Cassie…" He said softly.

She turned toward him and couldn't stop the tears from falling. She collapsed against him, weeping into his shoulder. Her tears soaked through his shirt, but he didn't seem to care as he held her.

"It's okay," he said. "You don't have to be strong right now."

Cassie cried until she had no tears left. Then, she took several deep breaths and said, "Okay. I'm going to wash my face off, and then I'm going to go check on Justin," she said.

"Cassie… Take a day."

"But Lucas-"

"Take a day to process this and grieve before you go see Justin. I know you want to be strong for him, but you can't do that if you don't give yourself the chance to mourn Ashley and her daughter, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay," she agreed. "Lucas… Stay with me?" She asked softly.

"Always," he promised.

"You're from Time Force, Lucas. You can't stay forever… But for now, at least…"

"I'm not going anywhere, Cassie," he promised her.

She nodded. Their relationship was going to be complicated. She knew he had to go back to his future eventually… But she couldn't focus on that. Right now, she needed him, and he was by her side. They'd figure out the rest later.

 _ **SAGE**_

She had so much to do, but this, in particular, couldn't wait any longer. Sage woke Lieutenant Stone up slowly. He couldn't escape from the ritual circle she'd cast. "Hello, Lieutenant Stone," she said.

He immediately tried to attack her, but he got nowhere. He growled softly. "What do you want?" He demanded.

"To help you," Sage replied. "You're not evil, Lieutenant Stone. You're one of the kindest, purest people I know."

"Kimberly would disagree!"

"Kim understands you're under Zell's control. Listen to me, Lieutenant Stone… I can help you. I can fix what they did to you."

"They set me free. I don't need to be saved."

"No… You tried to hurt Kimberly, and her baby, and Bulk. You'd _never_ do those things."

"Clearly I would!"

Sage noticed he'd flinched a bit as she mentioned their names. He was still in there somewhere. "Lieutenant Stone-"

"Let me go! I'll die here! I need the Great Zell!"

"No you don't."

"I do!" He began coughing violently and curling up in a ball in obvious pain. "I'm not a Power Ranger. I'm not Eltarian. I'm a mortal. The fire was not meant for people like me. Without Great Zell, I'll die."

Sage knew he was right about the magic, but that didn't mean he was right about the fact that he would die. She was pretty sure it was at least partially in his head, a suggestion Zell had planted there. Still, he was in bad shape.

"He gave me powers… I have power… Let me go!" Lieutenant Stone screamed.

"I need to extract the powers," Sage realized aloud. "You're not meant to have them… They'll drive you insane."

"No! Just release me!"

"I can't do that."

"I'm evil!"

"You're not. You're a good man who turned Bulk and Skull, who were nothing but bullies as kids, into really good men. Bulk saved Josh's life… And now Kim and Billy's daughter, too… And Skull… Skull gave his life to save Kimberly."

He flinched more. It was clear how much pain he suddenly felt. "Stop," he said softly.

" _You_ did that, Jerome. You helped them become amazing men. Bulk and Skull-"

"Stop saying his name!" He shouted.

"Whose name? Skull's?"

He closed his eyes and refused to look at her. He let out a soft whimper of, "Eugene…"

Sage knew then that the loss of Skull was the one thing Zell couldn't take from him… It had hurt him too much, and it would give him the slightest bit of humanity now. "I'm going to help you, Jerome… If you let me."

"I can't…"

"You can. Please trust me. I can undo what he did. I can bring you back to the light, Jerome… Back to the side Skull fought so hard for."

He stopped fighting her. "Okay," he said softly. "You can try."

Sage exhaled, relieved. "I need to extract the powers he gave you first," she said. "And I need to fix your mind… Because Zell has it pretty broken right now. Once I do those two things, I'll restore your light. In your case, that might actually be the easiest part of things for once…"

"Do what you have to," he said.

"Okay… Let's do this," she said. She called Zedd. "Can you meet me? I need your help," she said.

"Of course," Zedd said. He appeared soon after, as Sage put the Lieutenant back to sleep so she could help him.

"Is everything okay?" Sage asked, sensing something on him.

"Liza is having some difficulty," Zedd said. "We can discuss it later. She's alright for now, and I put her into a safe, peaceful sleep so she can relax."

Sage nodded. "Alright, table the discussion for later… It's a deal. Keep the energy flowing… I'll need it. This is going to be a process. Let's get started and save everyone's favorite Lieutenant." Sage knew it was going to be a long night.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

 _ **MADDIE**_

It was too beautiful a day to be stuck inside, so Maddie had an idea. She texted Zeke, then turned to Liza and Tia. "Who wants to come cliff diving with me?" She asked.

"Cliff diving?" Tia repeated in confusion.

"Yeah. We go to a cliff and jump off it into the water. It's amazing," Maddie explained.

Tia frowned. "I have never done such a thing..."

"It's fun. We can bring the Chosen with us... Ollie's gone with me a few times. It's a great way to release stress."

"Very well. I suppose that _is_ something we all need to do."

"Great! Do you have a swimsuit? If not, Liza's probably got a million. She could lend you one."

"You're not wrong," Liza admitted.

"I have my own... I have not worn it since we were back home, however... I prefer to remain properly clothed," Tia said.

Liza paused before waving her hands. A wet suit appeared. "This literally covers more than your actual clothing does, but won't weigh you down in the water," she said.

Maddie expected Tia to snap at Liza about using her magic for something so frivolous, but Tia surprised her by taking the wet suit and examining it. "Thank you, Liza," she said. "I shall put it on after I contact the others." She walked away.

"Are you two finally getting along?" Maddie asked.

"Today, I guess," Liza said with a shrug. "Tia's kind of bipolar when it comes to me. One minute, she's my nurturing big sister, the next, she hates the sight of me. I guess that's how siblings are?"

"Pretty much," Maddie said with a laugh. "But Tia takes it to an extreme with you."

"To be fair, I'm pretty combative at times. Remember, I'm a bitchy queen bee. Tia doesn't know what to do with another Alpha Female in the house."

"I don't know... Imani's pretty dominant," Maddie joked.

"Yeah, but Tia helped raise the kid. Mani backs down if Tia goes Full Alpha. I don't... I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with, but I'm trying to change... Angel Grove finally gave me a family. I'd be a fool to ruin it just because I'm a bitch."

"You're not as bad as you want people to think, Liza. You have a really big heart, but you try to hide it. I see it around Mani and Tessa all the time."

"They're little. That's different."

"And Taylor and Tye?"

"Severely traumatized and still baby entities."

"And _me?"_

"I'm not overly nice to you."

"You _saved me,_ Liza... If you hadn't pulled the powers out of me, not only would I have died, but Zell would have gotten them and _everyone_ would be dead."

Liza shrugged. "I still feel bad, Maddie... I never meant to take your place as a Power Ranger."

"Some things are meant to be, Liza. It was _always_ supposed to be a Campbell, but our moms switched destinies."

"Yeah, but you were a great Power Ranger. It isn't fair that you had to lose your powers."

"Hey, once a Ranger, _always_ a Ranger, right? I'm still part of the family, and I'll still fight the good fight... I just can't morph anymore. There are a _lot_ of Rangers like me."

Liza sighed. "There used to be _more."_

"I thought Taylor cornered the market on Emo Campbell. Are you okay, Liza?"

"Yeah... Just feeling like an unworthy idiot right now."

"You're _definitely_ worthy, Liza... And you're no idiot. I have _never_ seen you even _slightly_ lacking confidence... If anything, you usually have too _much_ confidence. .. So what's going on?"

"Ex drama... And that ex happens to be an Eltarian Rebel and I had no clue."

"What?! Girl, you've been holding out on me. Talk!"

"Nine... That's what I call him... Nine attacked me a couple of years ago... And let's just say that he didn't survive the encounter."

"You _killed_ him?" Maddie asked.

"Not _me,_ Maddie... But he was dead. And now, he's back, and he attacked me. He didn't like that I refused to 'talk.' He went off in Eltarian and I realized what he was... I tried to fight back, but he fucked me up. I couldn't stop him two years ago, and I _still_ can't. I tried calling on the family's magic, hoping Taylor and Tia would show up, but they couldn't figure out what was going on... He used Zell's anti-Ranger anti-Chosen spell... And if the _last_ people I expected hadn't shown up instead, I wouldn't be here right now."

"Who saved you?"

"Kizzie and B'Danna, two of the Rebels... And ultimately, Lido, because Nine poisoned me. Lido brought Kizzie the herbs to brew a cure."

"So Kizzie's got magic?"

"All Eltarians have some, but Kizzie's a sorceress. Her magic felt as strong as mine... Maybe stronger, but I never admitted that, okay?" Liza laughed.

"Are you going to be okay, Liza?"

"I'm a _Campbell._ Of _course_ I am." She didn't look as confident as she sounded, but Maddie didn't call her on it.

The rest of the Chosen arrived at the same time as Zeke and some unexpected people. "I hope you don't mind a couple of extra guests," Zeke said as he pulled Maddie into his arms. "Angie invited Kenny, and I figured Thorn might like to come since Caleb was going."

"The more, the merrier!" Maddie said. "But for that, we should invite _all_ of the Rangers."

"Sage is finishing up with Lieutenant Stone, and Josh is obsessing over some science thing or whatever, but I'm sure some of the others will be up for it."

"Hey, yeah! It'll be fun! Bonding time. We haven't done that in a while," Brian said excitedly.

"So, what are we doing and why did it require a swim suit?" Taylor asked.

"Cliff diving," Maddie said. "You know, jumping off a cliff into the water."

"You want us to jump off a _cliff?_ Are you _insane?"_

"I said that the first time, too, but it's really fun," Zeke said.

"It's not like we're just jumping... We'd be jumping into _water,"_ Brian said. "It's safe."

"Do you guys _not_ remember what happened with the ropes course?" Taylor demanded.

Maddie suddenly felt like an asshole. "I'm sorry, Taylor. I totally spaced on the fear of heights thing," she apologized. "I just thought it would be fun."

"Yeah... Pass," Taylor said firmly. "Have a good time jumping off fucking cliffs and try not to get killed. I'll be in my room."

"Taylor... Perhaps you can stay on the beach below with some of the others and just swim," Tia suggested.

"Sure, except for one thing."

"Which is what?"

"I don't know how to swim, guys. Not well, anyway. I can, like, doggy paddle. That's about it."

"I can teach you," Angie offered. "I used to do _anything_ to stay out of the group home. The local swimming pool offered free classes for underprivileged kids, so I took them. I'm actually a _really_ good swimmer."

"I don't know..."

"Come _on,_ Taylor!" Tammy said. "Zell literally flung me off a cliff and tried to kill me before we knew we were Chosen. If I can do this, so can you."

"Yeah, but you're _fearless,_ Tammy... And kind of crazy."

"I promise we won't make you get on the cliff," Maddie said. "And you'll have fun learning to swim."

"Guys, really, I'll be fine on my own... Go have fun."

"I'll get Josh to come," Kenny said kindly. "He's not big on water because of the whole fish thing, but he's actually a good swimmer. He can help Angie teach you."

Taylor frowned. "He's busy," he said.

"He always is, which is why he needs us to pull his head out of the books once in a while."

"Isn't it too cold to go into the water?"

"Dude, we live in California, and it's been even warmer than usual with all the freak storms lately," Zeke said. "Stop looking for excuses and come hang out."

Somehow, a half hour later, everyone including Taylor was at the beach. Kira, Dustin, Jayden, Lauren, and the Samurai, RPM, Megaforce, the Ranger Guard, the Stone Warriors, Vida, Chip, Sir Ivan, Chase, Koda, AJ, Bridge, Tyzonn, Mack, Cassie, Lucas, Andros, Zhane, V, Zoey, Ella, Dana, Ryan, Chad, Joel, Conner, Ethan, Trent, Xander, Madison, Micky, and Josh had all joined them. Even Doctor K had come.

"Wait... This is about team building and helping everyone release stress and bond, right?" Liza asked.

"Right," Maddie said.

"So why didn't we invite _everyone?"_

"I did. Mom's generation all had excuses... Billy and Kim have the baby, Mom's with the little ones, my dad had to work..."

"No, not them... The Rebels."

Maddie blinked at her in surprise. "The Rebels?" She repeated.

"Yeah. They're supposed to be our allies, but we keep them isolated on the edge of town like a plague. Most of us haven't even met them yet. I only met them because I brought them here in my portal, and that was brief. Kizzie and B'Danna barely remembered who I was. How are we supposed to work with them if we treat them like outsiders?"

Maddie considered this. "You're right," she said. "But do you think Rebels swim?"

"I think they adapt... So probably. I can portal to them."

"Be careful... Maybe you shouldn't go alone, considering your ex."

"Nine never uses the same trick twice. He won't interfere with my portal. Besides, I'm prepared for that now."

"Okay. Just be quick."

Liza grinned at her. "I'll be back in no time." She quickly opened a portal and vanished as everyone else started having fun.

Maddie stood on the top of the cliff with Zeke, Nessa, Troy, Gia, Jake, and Noah, the first to reach this particular spot.

"I changed my mind... I'll stick to the beach," Noah said.

"Yeah, I think I should go with him... To protect him, of course," Jake added.

"You two are such bitches," Gia said with a laugh. She took a running leap straight off the cliff, not even hesitating. " _Hell_ yeah!" She shouted on the way down.

Nessa grinned at Troy. "Ready?" She asked.

"I've actually never done this before," Troy admitted.

"Neither have I, but it looks fun. Get ready to pop that cherry," Nessa teased him. She grabbed his hand as she began heading to the edge. She wrapped her arms fully around him before shouting, "For Eltar!" She jumped, taking Troy along for the ride.

"Isn't it funny how the toughest people here are the girls?" Zeke joked.

"You should have expected that by now, Zeke," Maddie replied.

"True. Anyway... Look out below!" Zeke shouted before jumping off the cliff.

Maddie laughed and was about to follow him when she spotted something out of the corner of her eyes. "What the heck?" She mumbled. She moved closer to it, drawn to it for reasons she couldn't explain. The glowing ball seemed to demand she pick it up. As soon as she did, Maddie knew she needed to hold onto it. Whatever it was, she felt like she was supposed to protect it. She tucked it into the zippered pocket of the denim shorts she wore over her bathing suit. She'd refused to use pockets without zippers ever since she'd dropped the Yellow Power Coin trying to escape from Tanner... Maddie shook her head, not wanting to give the creep she'd finally destroyed another thought. She made sure the glowing ball was secured before remembering what she was supposed to be doing. Maddie shrugged and ran to the edge of the cliff before jumping off, deciding she could figure out what was going on later. She had a feeling she shouldn't mention it to anyone yet, and while it bothered her to keep secrets from the others, she'd learned to trust her instincts on things like this.

 _ **LIZA**_

She managed to teleport to the edge of town without incident. She walked straight up to the house the Rebels were living in and knocked on the door. A minute later, B'Danna answered it looking confused. "Can we help you with something?" She asked a bit harshly.

"I came to invite you all to an outing. We've got almost everyone from our side at the beach. A bunch of us are cliff diving, and the rest are swimming or enjoying the sunlight... I thought you guys might like to come," Liza said.

B'Danna frowned. "We are not here to socialize. This is _war."_

Liza shrugged. "Even soldiers get to engage in team building activities," she said casually.

"I do not think the Power Rangers want us around unless it is necessary. Besides, Zell doesn't know we're here yet."

"I hate to break it to you, but that douchebag knows pretty much everything that's going to happen before _we_ even figure out what we're going to do. And if he didn't know you guys were here before, I'm sure Nine told him as soon as he teleported away when you saved me."

B'Danna went from a basic frown to an epic scowl in an instant. "Damnit. You're right."

"So come have some fun."

"I'm not a fan of beaches. I even try to avoid Coney Island when possible."

Liza looked at the gothic girl and wondered if she was morally opposed to sunlight. "Look, it'll be good for you guys."

"We have more important things to do with our time."

The most mysterious of the Rebels appeared then. Tedius rarely said a word unless spoken to. Liza had no idea what his issues were, but now, he looked at B'Danna thoughtfully.

"B'Danna, perhaps a relaxing outing would do you some good," he said gently. "Draze would not want you to continue to isolate yourself."

"Pot and fucking Kettle, Tedius," B'Danna snapped at him. "You don't leave this house unless ordered to, nor would you leave the penthouse. Not since-"

"I'll go," he cut her off.

B'Danna looked stunned. "What?" She asked.

"He loved the beach... Just as Draze did. It shall be good for us both." Liza was dying to know who _"he"_ was and what the story was there, but she kept quiet, not wanting to interrupt as Tedius made obvious progress in persuading B'Danna to go with them.

B'Danna sighed. "We need to clear this with Captain Smith."

"Clear _what_ with Captain Smith?" Kizzie asked as she appeared. "Hullo, Liza luv... How are you feeling?"

"Much better... Thanks," Liza replied. "I was just inviting you all to a beach outing with a bunch of the Rangers and Chosen. Would you like to come?"

Kizzie hesitated. "We must clear it. B'Danna is correct. We are meant to stay off of Zell's radar."

"The Princess pointed out that he must know by now we have arrived," B'Danna said. "At the very least, he knows you and I are here."

"He has known this for some time," Captain Smith said, walking into the room. His power and authority immediately filled the room, but not in a creepy way. It was comforting, actually. Liza felt incredibly safe with him there.

"Captain Smith," Liza said pleasantly. "How would you like to bring your Chapter to a beach outing? We're cliff diving and swimming, depending on your preference."

To her surprise, Captain Smith smiled at her charmingly. "That is an _excellent_ idea," he said.

"Sir?" Kizzie asked in surprise.

"We must get to know our allies, Kizzie. The beach is neutral ground, a place where we can show them they need not fear us."

"Of course, Sir. I shall find proper attire for us straight away." She hurried off.

"Excellent! Besides, when in California, the best way to blend in is to travel to the beach. It is part of their culture... And I do enjoy being near the sea."

"Are you a naval Captain?" Liza asked.

He smiled at her. "Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force... I have fought in _every_ branch, Liza."

"That's a _seriously_ impressive resume, Captain Smith."

"I go where I am needed."

"Well, today, you're needed at the beach," she said with a grin.

"Indeed..." He paused. "B'Danna, I know you are uncomfortable, however, meeting the Rangers is vital to our success." He said this sympathetically.

"I understand. It's fine," B'Danna said.

Kizzie returned with appropriate beach attire for the others. She was dressed in a yellow sun dress that Liza would kill for. "You have _great_ style, Kizzie!" Liza complimented her.

"Thank you. I also have a swim suit underneath."

Tedius eyed the swim trunks and blue Hawaiian shirt she'd handed him and smiled sadly. "He would approve," he said softly.

"I know he liked that ensemble on you," Kizzie said kindly. "I hope you are comfortable wearing it..."

"Okay, feel free to tell me to mind my business, but-" Liza began.

"His name was Rupi," Tedius said sadly. "He was my dearest friend, and often, he was more than that. After his sister was killed by some of the Power Rangers, he left us... His intention was to join the Great Wizard because he'd vowed revenge for his sister... Captain Smith had firmly taken a stand against joining that monster, but Rupi felt he had to... For Zydia... I loved him dearly, but I could not go with him. I refused to form an alliance with that monster, but I knew I could not talk him out of it. We had to let him walk his own path... Logan returned his ashes to us after Zell left him to die." The pain in his face and tone were clear.

"I'm so sorry," Liza said. "That's horrible."

"Rupi made his choices. I try to take comfort in the fact that he regretted them in the end. He sent an apology via Raff, who relayed it to Logan." He took a deep breath. "Come... Let us change and head to this gathering."

No one stopped him from walking away. B'Danna and Captain Smith followed. "So... Where's Lido? We should invite him, too," Liza said casually to Kizzie.

"Lido is in the woods, as usual," Kizzie replied.

"Does _he_ have a swimsuit?" Liza joked lightly.

"Lido does not bother with such things unless necessary. When he dives, it is in a basic garment he made himself which covers his groin area and little else."

Liza couldn't help but picture the extremely muscular Eltarian so scantily clad. "Yeah... He could pull that off," she decided aloud.

Kizzie actually laughed. "Lido is indeed quite attractive," she said, guessing where Liza's mind had gone. "He is seemingly unaware of this, however."

"Does he ever date? Or, you know, socialize with people instead of birds?"

"No, and rarely. Lido has no interest in dating anyone. He was evil by force for a long time. I imagine he was incapable of feeling love."

"Love and sex are two totally different things. Zedd was evil for almost as long as Lido was, but he certainly satisfied his needs when he needed to."

"Zedd is an incubus, Liza. He had no choice. It was feed or starve, and being evil, he could only feed in the traditional way. Besides, Lido is not ruled by carnal pleasures." She looked at Liza and spoke softly as she added. "I tell you this in strict confidence because I see you have no filter and I know how much the subject hurts Lido... I believe he only loved one woman in his life, and that was Daphne."

"Wait, Lido was in love with Daphne? I thought they were just close friends."

"I do not think Lido understood his feelings... He is not like others, Liza... But his love for Daphne grew into more than friendship at some point. You can tell on the rare occasion he speaks of her. You can _also_ tell when he watches Andie."

"But Andie's with Sir Ivan."

"And she is _happy._ That is all Lido desires for her, so he will not interfere."

"Did Daphne love him, too?"

"I believe that she did. Their bond is powerful. However, Zell preyed upon her when she was still quite young and she was never given the option to explore or even examine those feelings. No one leaves the Great Wizard of Eltar. Once he decided she belonged to him, she could never escape."

Liza felt a chill run down her spine. "Is that how it was with Serafine, too?" She asked.

"From what I understand, Sera was much more independent. She was like fire, uncontrollable and a force to be reckoned with. She stood a better chance of survival than Daphne, who was a gentle soul. However, even Sera met a tragic end at his hands. I do believe if anyone could have left him and lived to tell the tale, it was her... Perhaps this time..."

"He _does_ know Andie's not some pushover he can control, right? She's not Daphne."

"He seems to be having difficulty accepting that... And that may be her saving grace. But Liza... Please refrain from bringing this up to Lido. It will only upset him."

"I promise I'll steer clear of the subject... So... Do you think Lido will come today?"

"I do. Lido enjoys diving off of cliffs... It is like flying to him. He may not say much to the others, but he will come. Allow me to retrieve him." Kizzie hurried off.

"Look at me, reaching out and bringing our allies into the fold," Liza said to herself with a laugh. She'd never been the sort to befriend outsiders and play Welcome Committee before she'd arrived in Angel Grove, but this place was changing her for the better.

 _ **ZELL**_

He smiled as the Alchemist, the Warlock, and Katherine appeared before him. "We have collected the specimens you requested," the Alchemist told him.

"Excellent!" He said, taking the samples they had collected. "Now... To create them."

"What is it you are doing, Father?" Katherine asked. "We had to search all over time for these."

"Your hard work shall be rewarded, my dear girl. The time travel was necessary to prevent them from being on alert to guard against us... Especially the boy."

Katherine grinned evilly. "Yes, it was _so_ nice to see Justin again. He believed it to be another nightmare."

"Katherine, you were meant to target them when they were _unconscious,"_ Zell reminded her sharply. He was growing impatient with the girl taking foolish chances on a whim.

"I apologize, Father. I could not resist. He is mentally unstable. He will not recall I attacked him."

"How old was he?"

"Thirteen... It wasn't that long after I last saw him."

He shook his head. "I know you cannot help yourself, my dear... But please be more careful in the future."

"Great Zell, with all due respect, she jeopardized _everything_ with her actions!" The Alchemist said.

"I know this, Eva Leigh. However, she is _my_ daughter, and _I_ shall decide how to handle her," he said harshly. He rarely used her true name in front of anyone except Maizon, the Warlock, but he needed to remind her of her place. He waved his hand at her and sent her flying into a wall. It was done so suddenly that she had no time to react. Her head was cracked open and blood gushed down her face. This satisfied Zell.

"Eva!" The Warlock cried out. He rushed to her side, glaring at Zell.

"Take her away from here and clean her up," Zell said dismissively.

The Warlock quickly helped the Alchemist to her feet and rushed her from the room. Zell turned to Katherine. "The Alchemist was not wrong, Daughter. Come here," he said softly.

Katherine nervously approached him. "I'm sorry, Father," she said, not looking at him.

"Now, my dear girl, there is no need for that... I have a second mission for you. Succeed and I shall forgive your poor judgement. Fail and... Well, I would not recommend that you fail."

"Of course, Father... What is it?"

"When I am finished here, you shall bring the specimens through time where I instruct you and hide them... Except for one. He shall not be hidden."

"He?" Katherine repeated.

"These specimens shall be turned into children. Would-be Legacies to various Power Ranger teams... And I shall pass them through my flames to create them. Each shall be born only of one Ranger and the Flame. They shall be a secondary team for me... The Children of the Flame, to support the Rangers I turned evil by force."

Katherine smiled. "Surely children born of the flames will be fiercely loyal to you."

"That is the plan, yes." He began writing the list of where to leave them.

Katherine looked it over. "Wait... If I leave Justin's offspring where you're saying... It's _Jared?"_ She asked.

"Indeed. How else do you think a child just appeared on his doorstep without an act of fornication with anyone?"

Katherine frowned. "But Jared already exists."

"Yes... Which is why I know you shall not fail this time, Daughter... At least not with him."

She nodded solemnly. "I will prove myself worthy, Father," she vowed.

He nodded. "I know. Felina shall accompany you, just in case. I trust her to handle any unforeseen issues which may arise."

With that, he called the flames. "And... Does this magic require a life?" Katherine asked.

"No, my dear. I am simply nurturing potential lives which already exist in this DNA. The magic required is not so dark."

Katherine fell silent as Zell began to craft the first life in the fire. In the end, six infants lay before them. "Take each child to their designated destination. Use caution. No one must see you except the guardians I have selected. In the case of Jared, Justin must _not_ see you. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Father."

"Good. Felina! Come," he called.

Felina appeared almost immediately. She saw the children and smiled. "They are lovely. From whom do they descend?" She asked.

Zell pointed to each child as he spoke. "The Blue Turbo Ranger, Green Mystic Force, Red Dino Thunder, Yellow Lightspeed Rescue, Pink Lost Galaxy-"

"Astronema?!" Katherine asked. "You could never control her child, Father!"

"No, my dear... Not Astronema. Kendrix, the original." He had sent the Alchemist for that sample.

"Oh... Of course."

"And the sixth, Great Zell?" Felina asked.

He smiled wickedly. "The Gold Dino Charge Ranger," he replied.

"The Knight?" Felina laughed. "Such an excellent choice!"

"He is fiercely loyal and has many desirable qualities. It is merely an added perk that when Daphne learns he has a child who is not Isobel's, he shall lose some of his appeal."

"You are brilliant, of course," Felina said with a smile. She clearly approved of his choice.

"Take the children two at a time and return when they have been safely placed in the past. Start with Blue and Gold." He touched Felina's arm as she picked up Sir Ivan's son. "Harm not a hair on that boy's head, Felina. Daphne would not forgive such an act."

"Of course, Great Zell. The boy shall be safe. Come, Katherine." She took his daughter and left. Zell looked at the other children and smiled, knowing his plan would succeed.

 _ **ZIZI**_

 _All she saw was total destruction... The total annihilation of the Power Rangers, Angel Grove, and ultimately, the world. Standing at the center of the destruction were six children, each more psychotic and evil than the last. They had been born from both Good and Evil, but without the good to influence them, their loyalty was to the latter._

 _These evil heirs to various Power Ranger legacies would be unstoppable once united with Zell's other minions. The Rangers of the Flame might be able to be saved, but there was no hope for these children. Their good had rotted away long before anyone even knew they existed. They were born evil. Zell had ensured there was only one vulnerable moment, while they were still in the flames, when light might taint their hearts._

 _Earth was doomed. Zell had created a new Eltar... One where he did not have to hide what he truly was as he ruled over it. The people of Earth were powerless to stop him._

She was sitting in the graveyard when the vision hit. Now, as Zizi returned to the present, she shuddered. "He's not the _only_ one who can change the fate of others," she said with determination. She knew she had precious little time. The ritual had already begun.

Zizi quickly manifested and lit six white candles. She focused on the children, knowing Zell was far too arrogant to think anyone would dare to interfere with his spell. She began to mentally tip the scales, sending the purest energy she could create into the hearts of the children as they each passed through Zell's evil flames. The spell could not counter his magic when used on adults, but these were new entities... They were blank slates. Zizi could not guarantee they would choose the path of the light, but at least now, they _had_ a choice. If enough of them turned away from evil, her vision would be prevented.

Zizi smirked to herself as she let the candles go out. Zell had _no_ idea who he was fucking with.

She pulled her long blonde hair into a ponytail and stood up. She dusted off her shorts and her legs, making sure the grass and dirt didn't stick to her. Then, she began to walk toward the exit of the cemetery. She headed toward the beach, sensing the gathering taking place.

 _Good for them,_ she thought. _They need to have some fun before they're all slaughtered._ She paused to watch Mena, tempted to approach her. _Don't be a fool. You cannot take that risk,_ she reminded herself. She wanted desperately to meet the former Prime Minister's treasured little girl, but she knew why she had to stay away. At least the girl looked happy as she playfully splashed water at the boy Zizi guessed was her boyfriend.

She tensed when she sensed an unexpected energy behind her. _Damnit,_ she thought. She should have expected this, but she hadn't thought the Rebels would be spending time at the beach with the Power Rangers.

"Hello, Zizi, dear," he said. "Tell me, what brings you to Angel Grove?"

"Captain Smith," she said. "I would ask you the same, but I suspect I already know."

"We have come to stop him, Zizi... Do you stand with us, or against us?"

"My mother would have stood with him... That is where the power lies, of course... But I never liked her much."

"Zizanyah... I'm afraid it is vital I know your position."

She looked at him with determination in her eyes. "He left him to _die,_ Captain Smith. I have come to see justice done."

Captain Smith nodded with approval. "Then join us, Zizi. You shall always have a home with us... Tedius will be pleased to see you."

She softened slightly. "How is he?" She asked.

"He misses him deeper than anyone, but he is trying to carry on."

"My uncle loved him... But he was always terribly loyal to my mother. He made a hasty choice in his grief."

"He is with us in spirit, Zizi. Those we love never truly leave us."

"I know... Look, as much as I'd love to see Uncle Tedi, I need to keep a low profile. I have a plan, Captain Smith... I am going to infiltrate his alliance and destroy them from the inside."

"That is a noble quest, Zizi, however he has already killed two of ours who sided with him. I do not wish to see your name added to the list."

"I promise to be careful."

"Zizi... He senses things people try to hide from him. You must take great care to guard your mind. Very few succeed... The one called Deker was one of the only traitors to his side whose betrayal he never detected. It is no easy task."

"I understand. I am as prepared as I can be... I know something I guarantee he does not."

"Which is?"

"My father's lineage . My mother kept his identity a secret. Only Uncle Rupi knew the truth, but he told me. She didn't want him to, but after her death, he sent me a message... I wish I had received it sooner. I would have dragged him out of that place and knocked some sense into him... Raff, too, for that matter. Felina is too blinded by loyalty to him, but the others... I could have reasoned with them. I may still be able to reason with the Alchemist and the Warlock, and any other Rebels he has brought to his side."

"Yes, the Alchemist and the Warlock... I do not understand why our most mysterious Rebels would side with him. Individually, they are incredibly strong. Together, they might be able to stand against him. Why would they ally themselves with him when they dislike working with allies in general?"

"It _is_ unusual. My mother thought so as well."

"Zydia was thinking of joining him toward the end. I think she'd nearly swayed Garron... It is good he and Morda met their end in the battle... Morda, especially, would have been deadly in Zell's hands. He already has a young girl who acts as a tulpa maker of sorts. If our reality-bending Comrade in Arms had joined him, we would have lost before we began. I hate to see the good in the death of our friends, but strategically-"

"We'd have been screwed. You're right. Between her powers and Garron's visions, we would have stood no chance... And my mother would have been a dangerous ally for him as well."

"Yes, Zydia's love for bloodshed would have presented problems. She was brilliant, but... Pardon my words, Zizi. This was your mother, after all."

"My mother was a power-hungry bitch who never gave a damn about me except to use as a secret weapon... A perfect weapon she could train and send off as a lone operative of the Rebellion at only twelve... Only Rupi cared for me as family should. He and Tedi checked on me whenever they could. Your Chapter was kinder to me than the Amber Beach one I was born into." She smiled at him. "So go on and say it... My mother was an unstable, psychotic, homicidal, possibly sociopathic stone-cold bitch... I hated her. I know you had to ask which side I was on... I am my mother's daughter, after all... But I am here for Rupi, not her."

He nodded. "I know you are quite good at what you do... Just be careful, Zizi. And if you end up in over your head, come to us."

"Thank you, Captain Smith. Once it is safe, I will tell the others I am here... If Tedi figures it out on his own, please make sure he knows I am not the traitor I must pretend to be. I cannot bear to hurt him."

"I will ensure my people know you are not a traitor and not to harm you should we face off. Good luck, Zizi."

"Thank you." She shook his hand. He patted her shoulder affectionately before letting her leave. Tonight, she would seek shelter and rest. Tomorrow, she would join Zell's Alliance.

 _ **B'DANNA**_

While the Rangers and the Chosen were having fun, B'Danna watched for signs of danger. A shadow flew over her. The image it cast on the ground was that of an exceptionally large bird of some sort. She looked up but saw nothing. Suddenly, something fell from the sky and landed at her feet. Confused, B'Danna picked it up. It appeared to be a yellow crystal of some sort. For some reason, B'Danna felt like she had been meant to discover it. She quickly slipped it into her pocket.

She was so distracted by her unusual discovery that she didn't notice someone sneaking up on her.

"Well, if it isn't Beatrice Donna," a familiar voice quipped.

B'Danna tensed. It had been a long time since anyone had called her that. She spun around, automatically pulling out her sword, which caused a very startled Cassie to let out a squeak of surprise.

"Whoa! Easy, Girl. I'm not here to fight," Cassie said nervously.

B'Danna relaxed only slightly and put the sword away. "Cassie," she said. "I see you made it back."

"Yep. Me, Lucas, the Phantom Ranger... No thanks to your friends," she said casually. "But I hear we're on the same side now, so I guess all is forgiven."

"It wasn't personal," B'Danna said. "You were actually the only teacher at the high school who didn't bore me to death."

"That's good to know, Beatrice... Or... What should I call you?"

"B'Danna is sufficient."

"B'Danna... Look, I know things are awkward now, but I also know what happened to your friends... I didn't know you well, but I got protective of every student in that school, and I did get to know Dave a bit... I mean Draze... And he was a nice kid, Eltarian Rebel or not. I mean, he was stuck in detention with me because he refused to dissect a frog and stuck it to the man by walking out in protest. I am a _huge_ fan of sticking it to the man, and I respect that he was against cruelty... Even if that confuses me since he was a Rebel."

As Cassie rambled, B'Danna tensed. Her chest ached. She missed Draze so much, and she remembered the incident Cassie was talking about. It had been pretty awesome watching Draze tell off the teacher and walk out of class to the cheers of the other students. She felt tears threatening to come and quickly pushed them away. B'Danna _never_ cried, especially not in front of witnesses. She had shed a rare tear in private over the years, but she'd never admit to it. Crying accomplished nothing. She attacked the source of the pain instead.

"He saved my life," was all she said.

Cassie softened significantly, almost turning maternal toward her, sympathetic and protective like the teacher B'Danna remembered. Of course, for B'Danna that had been thirty years ago. For Cassie, it had probably been a couple of days.

"Of _course_ he did, sweetie," Cassie said gently. "I'm sorry. I know what it is to feel that kind of loss... I lost my best friend slash on-again-off-again boyfriend in battle right before I went back in time... He sacrificed himself to save me and two of our friends, so believe me, I know how much that hurts."

B'Danna could see the truth in Cassie's words. She simply nodded. Cassie apparently didn't know how to stay silent, so she kept talking. "Look, we're allies now, so... If you need anything..."

"I'm fine," B'Danna said too harshly. "Thank you," she forced herself to politely add more gently.

"Right," Cassie said with an awkward smile. With that, she left B'Danna alone.

B'Danna pulled the crystal out again. It felt warm in her hands, and almost... _natural._ She didn't know what it was, but she could feel Draze around her, almost like he was encouraging her from wherever he existed now. Whatever the crystal was, Draze was happy she had it. With a shrug, she slipped it safely back into her pocket.

 _ **CASSIE**_

She had put this off long enough. After the beach day ended, Cassie told Lucas she needed to see Justin alone. She arrived at his home and used the special code so he'd know it was safe to answer the door.

A minute later, Justin cautiously opened the door. His eyes went wide at the sight of her. "Cassie?" He asked in surprise.

"It's me," she promised, stepping inside and closing the door behind herself.

"Cassie..." Justin suddenly flung his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulders as he sobbed impossibly hard.

"Shhh... I'm here, Justin. It's okay," she said soothingly, holding him like he was a scared little boy again.

"A... Ash..." He said softly. "She..."

"I know... Kira told me."

"I... I couldn't p-protect her... She was... She was already..."

"I know, Justin. It's not your fault. There was nothing anyone could have done." She was crying now, too. She had been far away, in 1989, while her best friend was butchered and her daughter was sacrificed. The guilt hit her hard, but she knew it wasn't her fault... Just like TJ hadn't been her fault... And Justin needed her to be strong now.

"I found her..." He said softly.

"I know... And I am so sorry I wasn't here to protect you from that... "

"She's gone... And Carlos... And... And Teej... And you were gone... Everyone always leaves..." He looked at her with the sad, broken eyes of an eleven-year-old kid whose father had essentially abandoned him after his mother died when he'd needed him more than ever. Cassie's heart ached for him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be here for you, Justin... But I'm here now. I'm okay, and I'm not going to leave you."

"I was too late... I was the only one here who could protect her and I _failed..."_

"You're so strong, Justin. Even with everything you've been through, as soon as you knew she might be in trouble, you ran in to save her. You did everything you could, and I'm proud of you... TJ would be proud, too."

Justin took a deep breath before reaching for a couple of his anxiety pills. He took them before looking at Cassie with sad eyes. "Can you stay with me tonight?" He asked very softly.

"Of _course_ I'll stay," Cassie promised.

He nodded. "Thank you... For staying, and for making it back here alive..."

She smiled at him. "I'm not that easy to kill."

Jared stuck his head out of his room then. "Aunt Cassie! You're back!" He cried in delight. He ran into her arms and Cassie hugged him tightly.

"Good to see you, Kid. Did you miss me?" Cassie asked.

"Yep! Can you stay for dinner?"

"I'm doing one better. I'm spending the night." She quickly sent Lucas a text to tell him as much before he could worry.

"Awesome! I'll grab some movies for us to watch," Jared replied. He ran off.

Cassie smiled at Justin. "We'll have a good night," she promised him. "The universe owes us that."

Justin nodded silently. He began to cook on autopilot as Jared came back. Cassie sat on the couch with Jared and looked at the movies, smiling as she realized he had a few she hadn't seen yet. She was home, and catching up with pop culture seemed like a great way to prove it to herself.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **RONNIE**_

 _She was in a room she didn't recognize. Ronnie felt someone watching her. "Hello, Veronica," a voice she knew entirely too well said._

 _Ronnie spun around. Terror filled her immediately as she saw his face. "Jaybert..." She whispered._

 _"I_ had _hoped to see you again." He reached toward her and tried to stroke her cheek. Ronnie recoiled as if he'd slapped her and backed away from him._

 _"Don't touch me, you bastard!" She shouted._

 _"Veronica... You_ will _obey me!" He was angry now._

 _"Divatox's mind control doesn't work on me anymore, you prick! Stay_ away _from me!"_

 _He looked surprised by this news. "But you remember me..."_

 _"It's called_ clarity. _I have it now... So I can stay safe from you and all of your friends."_

 _"Labyrinth..." Jaybert growled. Only Laby could have broken the spell and granted Ronnie clarity, and he'd done that after Tiffani saved Ronnie from her father. And later that day..._

 _"You killed her, you son of a bitch!" Ronnie shouted. "Your own_ daughter! _How_ could _you?"_

 _"Tiffani was an unfortunate but necessary casualty. They_ all _were." He grabbed her arm. "Divatox's spell or not, you_ will _be mine, Veronica. It is destined!"_

 _"I'm happily married, thanks." She kicked him in his shin. "And I'm not a scared, clueless, defenseless teenager anymore." With that, Ronnie ran._

 _Jaybert was on her almost immediately. He began clawing at her arms as she struggled against him. He drew blood. Ronnie kept fighting, determined to never let this scumbag get what he was after. If she failed, Tiffani had died for nothing, and she couldn't allow that._

 _"No!" She shouted. "You don't get to win." She contorted her body easily to escape from his grasp. Not only had years of cheerleading taught Ronnie to control her movements perfectly, but she had learned some self-defense over the years after everything she'd been through. Besides, Jaybert and the Rebels had taught her to fight, turning her temporarily into the perfect mindless warrior. Ronnie had a feeling Jaybert was regretting that as she brought him down now with a swift kick to the head._

Ronnie woke up in her bed. Her arms were scratched up and bleeding, but she was alone. Finally safe, she started to hyperventilate. She began crying as her PTSD kicked in. Using several techniques she'd learned over the years to cope with trauma, Ronnie tried to calm herself down. When she could breathe, she started cleaning up her arms as she dialed a number.

"Hey, Babe," her husband Lee greeted her.

"Lee..." Ronnie said softly. She took a breath and tried again. "Lee, can you come home? Or... Or can the kids and I come stay with you in Angel Grove for a few days?"

"Ronnie, what's wrong?" Lee asked seriously.

"I just... I had the strangest dream..."

"Flashbacks again? I'll come home-"

"No... It wasn't a flashback, Lee... It was new... Almost like he'd attacked me again... But... But he's _dead,_ Lee. I _know_ he is. Laby killed him. So it can't be him... Unless his ghost attacked me, but why would he do that after all this time?"

She could practically hear Lee frowning through the phone. "His ghost... Look, Ronnie, I'm the only person in my family who's always been open to magic and ghosts, but... I don't think-"

Suddenly, someone else was on the line. "Ronnie?" A familiar female asked. "It's Sage Park. What's going on?"

"Oh... Hi, Sage... What are you doing with Lee?" Ronnie asked in surprise.

"I was checking on Jason's boys and Lee's at the house. Look, Ronnie, you know my mom was a Shaman. So am I, and I heard Lee mention ghosts... Maybe I can help."

Ronnie sighed. "This is going to sound crazy..."

"Try me."

"Look, a long time ago, this creep was sort of obsessed with me. He tried to..." She took a deep breath. "He tried to violate me several times, although thanks to a couple of good people, he never got as far as he wanted to. Anyway, he died thirty years ago, but he was in my dream last night. He attacked me, but I fought back and escaped... He clawed my arms up in the dream and I woke up bleeding. I could have done it myself, but my nails weren't bloody, so I doubt it..."

Sage paused. "What was his name?" She asked.

"I'd prefer not to say it."

"Ronnie... _Please."_

Ronnie sighed. "J... Ja..." She shook her head. _You can do this,_ she told herself. "Jaybert. His name was Jaybert, and he killed his daughter, who was like my little sister, after she stopped him from attacking me and ordered me to escape. I was sort of under a spell..."

Sage cursed. "Laby's going to lose his shit if Zell did what I think he did," she mumbled.

"Wait... Laby? You've heard from him?"

"Yeah, but keep that between us. Lee's in the other room. He doesn't know what we're talking about."

Ronnie's heart ached. "Is he okay? I've been so worried about him for all these years..."

"He's traumatized and a drunk, but immortality's kept him alive, so there's that." Sage paused. "Ronnie, I need you to come to Stone Canyon."

"Stone Canyon? I thought you were in Angel Grove with Lee?"

"I am, but the Reservation is the safest place for you right now. Bring your kids. They're Scotts, and if Zell figures that out, he may try to awaken their magic before they know how to use it."

"Scotts have magic? I _knew_ it! Lee's family is so stubborn about that stuff, but I've seen signs over the years."

"At least you didn't assume I was crazy."

"I've lived through crazy, Sage. Nothing surprises me anymore. I'll come. My youngest three are home, but I'll need to grab the two in college." She paused. "It's not his ghost, is it?"

"I don't think so... I think Zell brought him back... But don't worry. I can keep you guys safe."

"If he comes after me, I'll make him pay for Tiffani... But I appreciate the protection. Thanks, Sage. Let me talk to Lee again?"

"Of course."

A minute later, Lee asked, "What's going on, Ron?"

"We're coming to you and then heading to the Reservation. Lee... It's time to call in your team."

Lee sighed. "I had a feeling you were going to say that. I'll see you soon, Ronnie. I love you."

"I love you, too," Ronnie replied. She hung up, then got in the shower and began making a list of things she'd need to pack to make sure the kids had everything they needed. On some level, she wasn't even surprised this was happening. She'd always known the fight wasn't fully over... She just hadn't expected her own personal monster to come back from the dead.

 _ **LABY**_

He saw Sage as she approached him. "Laby... We need to talk," she said.

"What's wrong?" He asked, seeing the expression on her face.

"Zell did something you're not going to like..."

"He usually does."

"I talked to Ronnie today, Laby. She's married to my friend's uncle, Lee."

Laby tensed. He hadn't heard their names in a long time. "Is she okay?" He asked. He'd always felt sorry for Ronnie, who'd been caught up in a battle that had nothing to do with her. He'd protected her from Jaybert's advances more than once, but Tiffani had stayed in that house to save Ronnie from her father the day she'd ultimately lost her life. Protecting Ronnie was even more important to him now.

"No... She will be, but she was attacked in a dream, Laby... By Jaybert."

Laby froze. "That's impossible," he said.

"Laby... I checked for a sense of his energy... Jaybert is definitely alive. Zell must have brought him back."

"No... No, he... He can't... I..." Laby was having a full-blown panic attack before he knew it. "He can't be... I... I killed him... I... I cut his fucking head off!" He was crying but he couldn't stop himself. This couldn't be happening... Facing Zell was one thing, but Jaybert?

"Laby, I'm so sorry-"

"Fuck it. I'll just... I'll do it again. I have to, right? I can do this... I can... I can do it..."

"Laby... No." Sage gently touched his arm, obviously trying to soothe him.

"I can do this. I _have_ to do this."

"Laby, you're a wreck. You can't handle this."

"I can do this! I have no choice... He's back. I can't let him hurt anyone else... I can't let it happen again... I _won't!"_ He was hysterical and possibly incoherent now.

"Shhh... It's going to be okay, Laby. You're not alone this time."

"I did it before... I can do it again..." He whispered as he sobbed into Sage's shoulder.

"We'll find another way," Sage insisted. "Just breathe, Laby..."

"I can do this... I am a trained warrior, a soldier of the Rebellion of Eltar..."

"And you're eternally _fifteen,_ Laby... He was your friend. I understand why this is so hard for you."

"I... I can't let it happen again, Sage," he said softly.

"It won't," she promised. "We're going to stop him, Laby... Together."

He nodded, allowing her to comfort him. Then, he suddenly snapped out of it. "Bee Dee..." He mumbled.

"What?" Sage asked.

"B'Danna and the others... I have to warn them."

"I can take you."

"No... I know Bee Dee. I need to do this on my own. It's okay... I miss her. I-It will be good to see her." He was nervous, but it was true. B'Danna and Draze had been his closest friends.

"Okay...You do that, and I'll handle something I need to do."

He nodded. "Thank you, Sage. For putting up with me."

"Good luck. You know how to reach me if you need anything." With that, she left him.

Laby took a deep breath. For the first time in thirty years, he dropped all illusions and shifted into his true form. He closed his eyes for a moment before pulling himself together. He knew what he had to do. He headed to where he knew the Rebels were staying. He found B'Danna in the woods. She was throwing knives at a target, keeping her skills sharp. Laby watched her for a moment before she flung a knife toward his head without so much as looking at him. He barely ducked out of the way in time.

"I know I'm immortal, but that still would have hurt..." He said lightly.

B'Danna's entire demeanor changed as she turned toward him. "Laby?" She asked in disbelief.

"Hey, Bee Dee," he replied.

B'Danna actually ran to him. He opened his arms to her and hugged her tightly. "What are you _doing_ here?" She asked as he released her.

"The same as you, I'd imagine... I'm here to take him down."

She nodded. "I've missed you," she admitted.

"I've missed you, too." He paused. "Where's Draze?"

B'Danna suddenly stared at her feet. She shook her head. Laby felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

"Oh God..." He said softly. "How?" He managed to ask.

"The attack on the Counsel finally happened... And it was a disaster. Garron and Zydia were in charge and to say they made poor choices is an understatement. They killed a bunch of school children. Captain Smith was horrified. Anyway, things got out of control quickly... And a member of the Guard shot at me... Draze... He took the bullet... Straight to his head. It was over in an instant... I'd killed the guy who fired the shot before I even registered that Draze was..." She shook her head. Laby saw the single tear that escaped from her eyes, but he didn't mention it. The sight was terrifying because B'Danna of Eltar _never_ cried and everyone knew that. Laby simply wrapped her back in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Bee Dee," he said. "I thought you'd both be safe with Captain Smith."

"We were... He is an incredible leader... Draze just made a choice..."

"Who's still around?" Laby asked cautiously.

"Well, we lost Travis and Macy on Eltar... Zydia's boys, too... Our man on the inside took out Macy because she shot his daughter, and his daughter took out Travis and the idiots because they were bragging about having slaughtered the kids... They deserved what they got. Garron and Zydia both got killed in a battle against some Power Rangers a couple of months ago... Morda, too. Captain Smith pulled us out of the fight as soon as he realized the Rangers were not the enemy. Unfortunately, Raff had lost most of his chapter... It was just him and Felina left-"

Laby froze. "Where's Lido? Did something happen to him?" The idea terrified him.

"Yeah, but not in the way you're thinking. There's this Mystic, or Shaman, named Sage. When people finally figured out that Zell had turned Lido and that's why he was the way he was, she saved him. He has his light back... He's one of the good guys now."

Laby almost cried with relief. Instead, he said, "I assume Felina went straight to Zell?"

"She did. Raff and Rupi went with her. So did Garron's explosion-happy twins."

"Wait... Rupi I'll buy, because he did whatever Zydia told him to, but _Raff?_ He _knows_ working for Zell is suicide! Captain Smith must be so upset..."

"We lost them both," B'Danna said softly. "Rupi tried to protect Zell and got caught in the crossfire. Zell left him to die. He could have saved him, but he saw no point. Rupi begged Raff to tell Captain Smith he was sorry. Raff survived the attack and collected Rupi's ashes for us... Captain Smith keeps them safe on the mantel, with the others." She didn't elaborate. Laby knew who she was referring to, but no one ever talked about that.

"What happened to Raff?" Laby asked. He tried not to cry. Raffitty had been a close friend of his. He considered Raff and Captain Smith to be the two people in the Rebellion he could always count on for help.

"He changed, Laby. Captain Smith doesn't like to admit it, but even he knows Raff was different by the end. He was badly injured in the last battle, but he survived. He intended to return to us, but Zell and Felina found him. They brought him back to their new location and Zell revealed his plans... To drain Raff's powers from him every time Raff built himself back up, an endless cycle of agony and near-death experiences. Raff had other plans... He went to Neptune... Logan is what he goes by now... And he begged him to end his life to prevent Zell from becoming too strong to stop as he kept stealing powers from him. With Raff being immortal, Logan was the only one who could do it. He was his vulnerability. The boy agreed after Raff gave him a book of Zell's prophecies that he'd stolen. Raff was dead either way at that point. He gave Logan Rupi's message and Logan brought him home to us."

Laby was stunned. "Shit... Shit, how did this get so out of hand?" He mumbled. "I disappear for thirty years and it all goes to hell?"

"It's only been the last few months. With the discovery that the siblings had returned-"

Laby froze. "The siblings... As in Serafine and Daphne?" They'd reincarnated before. He'd sensed them sometimes from a distance over the millennia.

"And Ash."

He stared at her. "Ash hasn't shown himself since he died. Are they sure?"

"They're positive. He's Lady Eleanor's grandson."

"Poor kid..." He shook his head. "Where are they? Are they together?"

"They're on the same team of Power Rangers, the Stone Warriors. They are currently here in Angel Grove because Katherine, Zell's highly evil daughter, killed two people from the team... They're all alive now, though. They're the reason we're here. One of them, Chelsea, came to us critically wounded. Tedius saved her life. Captain Smith is quite fond of her... She calls him _Bobby."_ B'Danna laughed.

Laby smiled at that. "She sounds interesting."

"I think she reminds him of Marie... But I'd never bring that up to him."

Laby nodded. He couldn't think about Marie... It might make him think about Tiffani... "Right... So... Sera's here, then..."

"She goes by Darcy now. Darcy, Greg, and Andie are the siblings. But yes, she is. I could take you to them."

"Not yet... First, I think I need to see Captain Smith, Tedi, and..." He hesitated.

"Kizzie is still with us," B'Danna promised.

He nodded, relieved Kizzie had survived. "Of course she is. She's not easy to kill."

"Come on. I'll take you to them... Unless you want to see Lido first."

"I think I'll delay that for now... Lido won't be happy I vanished for three decades. I was the closest thing he had to a friend after Daphne died."

"Right." She started to walk, so Laby followed her until they reached the house. He paused once they were outside.

"Hang on... Might as well have a little fun, right?" He smirked at her mischievously.

She grinned. "So you _are_ still in there... Good to know. Go on," she said, hiding to the side of the house as Laby shifted form into a pimple-faced teenager and rang the doorbell.

Tedius opened the door and looked at him in confusion. "May I help you?" He asked.

"Someone order a pizza?" Laby asked, holding a box.

"No, I'm sorry. You must have the wrong address."

"Oh, no pizza?" He paused thoughtfully before shifting again, this time into a little old Chinese man. "How about Chinese?" He asked in a perfect accent.

"Tedi, who is at the door?" Kizzie asked. She appeared beside Tedius, who'd apparently been stunned into silence.

"You order wonton soup? Pork fried rice? Dumplings?" Laby asked, keeping up the act.

Kizzie studied him for a moment. "Laby, Luv... Is that _you?"_ She asked in surprise.

"Chop suey?" Laby replied.

Kizzie's face lit up as she grinned. "It _is_ you!" She flung her arms around him.

B'Danna joined him on the porch then. Captain Smith stuck his head out of the door, no doubt confused to see Kizzie hugging a food delivery guy.

"Kizzie?" Captain Smith asked.

"She _really_ like fortune cookie," Laby said.

Captain Smith stared at him for a second before Laby dropped his shift and assumed his true form. "Labyrinth!" He cried in surprise.

Laby quickly extended his hand to him as Kizzie released him. To his mild surprise, Captain Smith pulled him into a warm hug. "It is incredibly good to see you, Laby," he said. "Welcome back."

Laby almost cried then. "It's good to see you, too, Cap..." He sighed. "I'm sorry about Raff... And Rupi."

"And I am terribly sorry about Draze... I tried my best to keep the boy safe..."

"I know you did everything you could. It's okay. He went out on his terms... It sucks, but it's not your fault." He took a deep breath. "Guys... We need to talk."

"Come inside, Luv," Kizzie said. He followed her. B'Danna closed the door and they gathered around a large table in the dining room.

"There's no easy way to say this... Jay's back," Laby said.

B'Danna turned paler than she ever had before. Kizzie and Tedius looked stunned. "Laby, Luv, are you certain?" Kizzie asked.

"Why would anyone bring back someone like that?" Tedius wondered aloud.

Captain Smith gently touched B'Danna's shoulder. She automatically flinched away from him. He gave her some space. "Laby, this is difficult to believe. I watched the house burn with his remains still inside," he said.

"Look, I know he was dead... I'm the one who took his head off," Laby said. His voice only cracked slightly. He was proud of himself. "But I have it on the authority of a Shaman that he's alive again, and he already went after Ronnie in her dreams."

B'Danna suddenly snapped out of her shock. "That _bastard!"_ She shouted. "This time, _I'll_ take his fucking head off! Where is he? Tell me and I'll-"

"Stand down, B'Danna," Captain Smith said firmly.

"Captain Smith-"

"I understand your impulse, B'Danna. However, if Jaybert has truly returned, Zell clearly did this to set a trap. I cannot in good conscience allow you to run into battle blindly."

B'Danna sighed. "I understand, Sir. My apologies for reacting without thinking."

"Your reaction is perfectly natural given the circumstances. Now, Laby... Do you know any details?"

"I know Ronnie is safe. She's on her way to one of the local Reservations with her kids... As far as Jaybert... I'm working on that... I came here to warn you guys," Laby said.

"We should alert Lido," Tedius said.

"I'm going to go see him in a bit. I'll tell him then," Laby promised. "But first, I thought I'd have something to eat with you guys. My treat."

"That sounds like an excellent idea, but I insist on paying," Captain Smith said.

"Come on, Cap. I haven't bought you all a meal in three decades," Laby replied. "I owe you guys."

Captain Smith nodded. "Very well, if you insist." He smiled at him encouragingly. At times, Captain Smith could be a hard man to read, but Laby knew him well. He could see the relief in his eyes as he watched him.

 _He spent the last three decades worried sick about you and you didn't even send him a postcard,_ Laby thought to himself. He felt guilty. Captain Smith had been a good friend of his for a long time. He'd welcomed B'Danna and Draze into his chapter with open arms and vowed to keep them safe for Laby without so much as a question. _I'm the worst friend... But then again, everyone close to me ends up dead, so..._

B'Danna whacked his arm. "Ouch!" Laby protested.

"Wherever your mind went, it wasn't good. Knock it off," she said firmly.

He smiled at her. "Thanks, Bee Dee," he said. "I needed that." He'd missed his no-nonsense friend.

She nodded at him. Laby tried to relax and get used to being around the Rebels again. _You can do this, Laby,_ he told himself. He wished that he actually believed that.

 _ **SAGE**_

She was trying to come up with a plan as she began to search the Underworld for a soul... This wouldn't be easy. Most would say it was impossible, but that was what they'd said about saving Zedd. Sage was good at doing the impossible.

She didn't really know where to look. She'd never met this soul, and she had only the vaguest sense of her energy from memories Laby fought like hell to guard and repress. Still, she knew she had to try.

An incredibly warm and soothing energy was suddenly around her. For a moment, Sage thought it might be her mother, but she quickly realized it was someone else when the woman spoke. "May I help you, dear?" The woman asked. "I sensed you searching for me."

Sage stared at the beautiful Eltarian woman with a kind smile. "Amareese?" She asked.

"Yes," the soul replied.

"Hi... My name is Sage, and I'm what you would call a Mystic. Amareese, I know what happened to you. I've come to find you because I wanted to make you an offer... I think I may be able to bring you back."

"That's very kind of you, Sage, but I've been dead for a long time."

"My mother runs the Underworld. If you want to come back, I can try to convince her to help me resurrect you."

"I accepted my fate long ago. I chose to give my life to protect the children."

"Amareese... He's back. Jaybert is _back."_

Amareese tensed. "The children... I know my sweet Tiffani did not survive... When she is here, Flekt and I look after her, but she often chooses to stay closer to the world of the living, to watch over the innocent. Draze came to us much more recently... But B'Danna and Laby... If Jaybert has returned, they are in terrible danger."

"They are, and Laby broke down pretty hard when he found out. He's been in bad shape since he lost all of you. He's been drinking New Orleans dry for the last five years."

Amareese looked very sad at her words. "Oh, my poor, sweet Laby... My heart breaks for him. He's been through so much."

"I know he has... And he needs help, Amareese."

Amareese sighed. "What is it you need me to do, Sage?"

"I know that you're a gifted, powerful Sorceress, and that you know Jaybert better than nearly anyone. I think you are our best chance against him."

Amareese nodded. "He may have come into a great deal of power by the end, but I have significantly more experience. That counts for much. I will help you, Sage. Please just allow me enough time to explain my choice to my husband. Flekt is a warrior. He will understand why I must return."

"Thank you, Amareese. I'll come back for you soon." Sage hurried away to find her mother. She had more than one thing she needed to discuss with her.

When her mother appeared, she looked concerned. "My sweet Sage... What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Mom, I need to talk to you," Sage said. "Caleb was contacted by a spirit deep in the Underworld. The spirit says he needs to talk to Pierce, but I know Pierce can't go that deep again. He can't handle the atmosphere down there, or the things he sees. I am going to try to move the soul to a safer part of the Underworld that Pierce can get to without an issue."

"No," her mother said firmly.

Sage stared at her. "What?"

"No, you are not doing that. I will retrieve the soul myself, if it is safe to move him. This is too dangerous for you."

"Mom, I know what I'm doing. I'm a Shaman. I survived on my own for two weeks down there."

"I said _no,_ Sage. I will do this for you. You're not prepared to handle the consequences-"

"Excuse me? I saved Caleb and Rocky and survived the journey back from the Underworld! I saved _Zordon!_ I fixed Zedd and even grew his skin back! I do impossible, dangerous things every day, so who the _hell_ do you think you are telling me that I can't spare my friend some unnecessary trauma by doing my damn job as a Shaman and moving a soul for him?"

"Watch your tone, Young Lady! I am _still_ your _mother,"_ her mother said sharply.

"You made a choice to _leave,_ Mom. You don't _get_ to parent me from the Underworld!" Sage snapped. Suddenly, everything she'd held back came rushing to the surface. She hated being angry with her mother. She repressed her feelings of abandonment and grief... But now, she couldn't ignore them.

"I had to save the Power Coins, Sage-"

"First of all, no. You didn't. Katie had already broken out of the hospital and was planning to get them herself." It was true that her cousin hadn't gone after the coins immediately, but Sage knew she'd have done it eventually. If her mother had just waited a little while longer... "Second, you didn't have to go alone. You could have brought help with you. You. Made. A. _Choice."_

"I did what had to be done! You need to calm down, Sage. You still owe me your respect. I am your mother-"

"No," Sage said coldly. "You're _not_ my mother anymore. You're just one of my ancestors who happens to be the Goddess of the Underworld."

"Sage!"

"No. We're done here." She waved her hand and used her energy to banish this ancestor... She had to think of her like that now. It was the only way she could do her job. Her mother was dead. She was just another ancestor now.

She'd been planning to ask for help in resurrecting Amareese... _Fuck that,_ Sage decided. She'd do it herself. Stealing a long-dead soul from the Goddess of the Underworld should be difficult, but Zell had managed it. Sage could do it, too. And as for her mother's precious "balance" rules, Zell had brought back Jaybert and tipped the scales. Resurrecting Amareese would simply tip them back. It would take her a couple of days, especially since she was recovering from restoring Lieutenant Stone's light, but Sage knew what she needed to do.

 _ **LIDO**_

The last thing he'd expected was for Labyrinth to show up in the woods. When Zuzu alerted Lido to the unexpected guest, Lido had hurried out to him. "Laby." He said simply.

"Hey, Big Man. How have you been?" Laby asked casually.

"Better than you, I suspect."

Laby laughed. "That's probably true. Listen, Lido... I heard the truth about what happened to you... I'm sorry, Man. I should have figured out he did something to you... You'd never have worked for him, not after what happened to Daphne."

Lido tensed slightly. "I can never make up for my past actions, Laby... But you do not need to apologize. No one knew about the Flames back then. Even if you had figured it out, there was no known way to reverse it until recently."

Laby hesitated before hugging Lido. It had been a long time since Laby had done that. He'd often tried to comfort Lido when he was a teenager, but once Lido had been turned, he'd stopped allowing it. When Lido had joined the Rebellion three centuries later, Laby had become friendly toward him again, but Lido never let him in fully... He couldn't.

Suddenly, Lido sensed something. Zuzu urgently spoke to him. "There is a girl," he said suddenly. "Zell has her. I cannot quite sense the details..."

Laby grinned. "Need some clarity? Allow me," he said. He looked into Lido's eyes, and suddenly, they both saw the unconscious girl Zell had clearly tortured.

"She is quite injured," Lido said with concern.

"She was tortured... Physically and magically," Laby said. "Lido, we gotta get that kid out of there."

"No one can find the property. It is bewitched. It traps people inside. Angeline and Bulk only escaped because they found Kimberly basically at the exit. It's a labyri..." He paused. "A labyrinth... Which no one can navigate... But..."

"But I'm immune," Laby finished for him. "I can go get her."

"It is too dangerous. You are trying to hide from Zell for now... Allow me to go."

"How can you-"

"If you can lead us to the general area, Zuzu and I together can defeat the labyrinth. So long as Zuzu remains outside and we can share our sight, I can find the way out."

Laby nodded. "The kid doesn't have much time. Let's do this." He paused. "Oh, and, Lido... Jaybert's alive."

Lido stared at him for a moment before sighing. "Of course he is... We will deal with that tomorrow. Tonight, we rescue the girl."

They tracked the energy of the Warlock's labyrinth easily enough. "What a sorry excuse for a labyrinth," Laby mumbled. "I would have done _so_ much better... Go on, Lido. And good luck." He left before Zell could sense him.

"Zuzu, circle the sky, but stay hidden," Lido instructed. Then, he headed inside. He followed the energy he'd felt from the girl until he found her in a room that reeked of dark magic. "Felina..." He mumbled, knowing that energy well. He spotted the girl lying on a table of some sort. Lido removed the restraints which held her in place and lifted her up into his arms. He easily carried her from the building.

"I sense an intruder," Lido heard the Warlock say.

Lido rushed toward the door. He'd nearly made it to the last corridor when he ran into an unexpected familiar face. "Not that way, my friend," the dead man said.

"Rupi?" Lido asked in shock.

"Hello, Lido..."

"You died."

"I am still dead... I am a spirit now. Lido, go down the other hall. This one is a trap."

"...How?" Lido had never seen the dead before.

"The blood of the Mystics is within you, and you are tied to Caius Grant. It is not so strange that you see me. _Go,_ Lido. Take the girl and run before they find you."

Lido nodded. "Thank you, Rupi." He went the way Rupi had instructed and found the path unblocked. He fled the house, taking the girl and heading back to the woods.

 _ **DENNI**_

She was very alarmed as she woke up. She hurt, but not as much as she had before she'd blacked out. A large man she didn't recognize was applying some sort of ointment to her wounds.

Denni jerked her arm away from him. "Relax," he said softly. "You are safe here."

She realized most of her wounds had been tended to. Her head was bandaged and she could feel ointment on the gash she knew was on her forehead. "Who are you?" She asked cautiously.

"I am called Lido. What is your name?"

"Denni."

"An unusual name for a female, if I am correct?"

"It's short for Denise, but no one ever calls me that. I prefer a more neutral name. I don't like being judged by my gender. I play soccer... The guys don't want to accept that a girl is better than them, but they always regret that." She was rambling. It was probably the head injury.

"Soccer... The Earth sport. I believe I have heard of it," Lido said as he continued to tend to her injuries. "There is one here who is very involved if I remember... Conner, teammate of Kira." He seemed to be focusing hard on these details, like he needed to recite them to himself to keep them straight.

"Conner... Conner _McKnight?_ I know him!" Denni said excitedly. "He runs a soccer charity I'm involved with. Do you know him? Can you call him?" She was clinging to someone she only saw a few times a year, but it was better than having no one but strangers around.

"When you are stronger, perhaps," Lido replied. "Denni... Why were you taken by Zell?"

"That freak? He kept insisting I didn't know the truth about who I was... And he wanted me to use my magic. I don't _have_ magic! He's nuts."

Lido frowned. "Zell knows many things... Perhaps he know something you do not."

"He kept saying my _line_ has powerful magic... Something about some people called the Scotts..."

Lido frowned. "Are you Jason's daughter?"

"I don't know who my father is. Who's Jason?"

"Jason Scott... But I do not sense his blood in you."

"I'm sure you didn't _mean_ for that to sound so creepy," she said lightly.

"I apologize. I do not often deal with people... But I had to rescue you."

"Yeah, thanks for that. I appreciate it."

"Of course. You need to rest, Denni... I will notify the appropriate people to test your DNA against some samples and see if they match anyone. Give me a moment."

Shortly after that, Lido returned. A little while later, a man joined them. "Caius. Thank you for coming," Lido said.

"Of course," the man replied. "Hello, Denni. I'm Caius, and I'm here to help." He looked at Denni's shoulder and touched up a wound Lido had already tended to. "May I?" He asked before showing her a cheek swab.

Denni shrugged. "Knock yourself out," she said. Caius took the sample and carefully put it into a device.

A minute or so after, the device beeped. "There is a match," Caius said.

"Is it Jason? Or one of the boys?" Lido asked.

Caius frowned in obvious confusion. "No," he said. "However, the match also matches the Scott line... I wasn't aware he was part of that line..."

"Who is it?" Denni asked.

"Denni... Your father's name is Conner McKnight."

" _Conner?_ Conner is my father? Holy shit!" Denni shook her head. "So I guess the soccer abilities are genetic."

"You are remarkably calm right now."

"I was kidnapped and tortured by a weird blue man and some kind of psychotic witch. I've accepted weirder things than Conner McKnight being my father."

"It seems Conner is unaware of his connection to the Scott line. I will talk to Sage. She's trained the boys and even Jason. I think she can help Conner and you, Denni." Caius sighed. "You may have been born in another time than the one you believe, Denni. Your mother may not be your mother. Zell is infamous for placing children throughout the time line. I believe you may be one of those children."

Denni paused before taking a deep breath. "Okay," she said. "So what happens now?"

"Now you rest. We will deal with things in the morning, when you are stronger." Caius turned to Lido. "Take good care of her, Lido. I will be in touch." Caius left.

Denni's stomach growled. "You are hungry," Lido said. "Rest. I shall prepare something for you to eat." He walked away.

After a few minutes, Denni got curious where they were. She managed to stand up. She felt something in her back pocket. Confused, she reached inside and pulled out a red crystal. "What the hell?" She mumbled. She noticed a figure inside. It looked like some sort of lion. The crystal was familiar and she felt like she had to keep it safe, but she couldn't remember how she'd found it.

Lido came back inside and his eyes immediately fell on the crystal. He came closer to Denni to examine it. He seemed to focus before his eyes grew wide. "I know this crystal from the Rebellion's research. The crystal belonged to the Wild Force Red Ranger... He perished heroically in a battle recently. How did it come to be in your possession?"

"I don't know... You're saying this is a Power Ranger's?"

"Yes... And these crystals are special, Denni. They choose their guardians. The entire team perished, except for Merrick... If the crystal came to you..."

"You think I'm the new Red Wild Force Ranger?"

"It is the only thing which makes sense. The team was destroyed... Zell would never see a new team coming. Be cautious who you trust with this information, Denni. Your life is in danger."

Everything had flipped upside-down in her world, but she was almost comforted by that. "It's true... The Red Lion chose me. I feel it... But if one crystal chose someone, the others must have, too. There are other clueless Power Rangers out there. I need to find them."

"We need answers first. Rest. I will contact Sage in the morning. She should be able to help sort this out."

"What about this Merrick guy? Where is he?"

"After he lost his team, Merrick returned to the land these Rangers come from. No one has heard from him since. Only Kira and perhaps one or two of the others know how to reach him."

"I need to talk to him... His name is familiar, and I feel like he has answers."

"Tomorrow. You were half-dead when I found you, Denni. Eat and rest. We will take the next step in the morning."

Her stomach growled again. "Okay, you win," she agreed. Whatever was going on, she suspected she was going to need her strength to face it. She'd wait one more day and figure things out when her head didn't hurt so much.

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _Denni belongs to Aura MacKenzie. She is also the one who came up with the idea of Wild Force coming back into play with a brand new team. I love this idea and am so grateful she's my Muse. Just giving credit where credit is due. Anyway, I promise you'll meet the other team members soon, and the rest of the kids Zell created in the Flames will reveal themselves shortly, too._

 _On another note, I've started writing one-shot stories about the Rebels and their case histories. Their personal stories are all really interesting, but I can't do them all justice in this fic. It's just not the place for that. So, I created_ Tales from the Rebellion. _So far, I have posted the story of how the Rebellion began, which has a lot of Laby's early history in it, and one of the one-shots I plan to write about Captain Smith. It's about his origins, but there will eventually be another one-shot that tells the story of how the New York and New Jersey Chapters ended up becoming one group. I have several one-shots planned, but am open to suggestions if there's any Rebel you'd like to read about sooner rather than later. If you find the Rebels as interesting as I do, you should check the stories out. Okay, ending my cheap plug now, LOL._

 _Thanks for your continued support! You guys are awesome. See you next chapter!_


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

 _ **ZIZI**_

She found the twins easily enough. Zizi had used a Rebellion portal to head to Eltar after a vision told her they were there on a mission. After that, all she had to do was follow the explosions.

Boom and Blast had two severely wounded captives with them. The woman radiated sorcery. The man was wearing the uniform of the Eltarian Guard. Zizi watched as the twins struggled to battle against a man who fought like his life depended on it... Which it clearly did.

"Come on, Ezran. Stop fighting," Boom began.

"You know you'll look..." Blast chimed in.

"So much better..."

"Blown to pieces!"

"It'll be _fun!"_ The twins finished in unison.

"Wait... We can't," Boom suddenly remembered with a frown.

"Right! The Great Zell wants-" Blast added.

"This one-"

"Brought to him-"

"Alive," they finished with a unified sigh.

"The... The Great Wizard?" Ezran asked in surprise and horror.

"He needs all three of you," Blast explained.

"For a special project," Boom added.

"But we can kill-"

"Anyone else." Blast smiled and Boom joined in.

Ezran was clearly preparing a magical attack that the twins probably thought was just another deflection spell to protect himself. Magic wasn't their area of expertise but Zizi knew the difference.

 _Forgive me,_ Zizi thought. She had to make an impressive show of loyalty or Zell would never trust her. Taking a deep breath, Zizi ran up behind the unsuspecting Ezran. She had a knife to his throat in an instant.

"Not so fast," she said to him before shifting to lock in a choke hold. He blacked out quickly, only struggling for a couple of seconds.

"Zizi!" The twins cried in joyful unison.

"Hey, Guys. How've you been?" Zizi asked casually.

"We're great," Boom replied.

"Yeah, super," Blast added cheerfully.

"What's with the hostages?" Zizi asked.

"The Great Wizard of Eltar wants them," Blast explained.

"Alive, so he can use them," Boom added.

"Use them for what?" Zizi asked.

"Dunno," Boom replied. "He doesn't-"

"Tell us details," Blast chimed in. "He just gives the orders-"

"And we follow them."

"You guys are working for the Great Wizard of Eltar?" Zizi asked, feigning surprise.

"Yeah! He's great," Boom said.

"He lets us-" Blast added.

"Make things go..."

"Kaboom!" The twins finished together.

"I've been looking for him," Zizi said. "My mother wanted to join his Alliance but was killed before she could. It is my duty as her daughter to see this fight through to the end... Besides, I like his style. I know where the power is. You've got three hostages, so you should have three people to bring them in. Let me join you and pledge my loyalty to the cause."

Boom looked excited. "Zell will be pleased to gain a new ally!" She said.

"Yes! He'll be so happy with us," Blast added.

"The more-"

"The merrier!"

"Or _eviler,"_ Boom finished with a grin.

Zizi returned the expression. "Let's go," she said.

They took the unsanctioned portal back to Earth and Zizi followed the twins back to the base. When they entered, Felina met them at the door. "You succeeded," she said. "Excellent work." Then, she noticed Zizi. "Wait... Zizanyah? What are you doing here?"

"I have come to join the Great Zell's Alliance," Zizi said. She knew Felina was much more suspicious than the twins had been. She focused all of her energy on keeping up her rouse. "I discovered the twins in trouble as they battled the last target, so I took him down myself."

"Why would you join us, Zizi?" Felina asked, still suspicious.

"My mother ordered it before her death at the hand of those foul Power Rangers. Besides, my uncle came to stand at the Great Zell's side. If Rupi felt it was the right path, so do I."

"Rupi died fighting for the Great Zell," Felina said.

"And I am prepared to do the same if I must." Zizi looked into her eyes, putting a fist over her heart. " _Vide piel virit._ I am loyal."

"Loyalty is an admirable quality, my dear," a voice said from behind her.

His power was unlike any Zizi had ever felt. To feel it in person was far more impressive than it had been when she battled his spell from a distance. Zizi immediately bowed her head and sank to her knees humbly. "Great Zell... It is an honor," she said.

Zell stood over her, examining her curiously. "Tell me, my dear... What is your name?"

"I am called Zizi... Zizanyah of Eltar, Daughter of Zydia, Niece of Rupi. I have come here to join the cause my family fought for."

Zell nodded thoughtfully. "You may stand, Zizanyah." She did and she cautiously looked into his eyes. He smiled with approval. "You are brave and a warrior, like your mother... And I can sense you meant much to Rupi, who so valiantly gave his life for the Alliance... Do I sense sorcery in you?"

"Yes. It runs through my blood stronger than it ran through my mother's. My magic will be an asset to you, Great Zell. I wish only to serve beneath you."

He was convinced and she knew it. "Indeed. Welcome, my dear girl. In aiding the twins, you have already proven you are willing to do as you must. Come. Let us get to know one another over a meal while the twins take our _guests_ downstairs. Felina, please prepare a room for our new friend."

Felina hesitated for only a moment. "Of course, Great Zell," she said. She hurried away but Zizi knew she was still suspicious. She would have to be careful around Felina for a while. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind as she followed Zell.

 _ **TYLER**_

He was struggling to stay calm, but every day, the sense of dread grew worse. His team was split. Chase was in charge of everyone in Angel Grove, which included Koda, AJ, and now Sir Ivan. Tyler was taking care of everyone else... Miss Morgan, Riley, Prince Phillip III, who was usually in Zandar, and Zenowing, who was basically never around. He knew it was crazy, but he felt like his father was trying to warn him that the team was in danger. It was getting harder to ignore.

He'd fought with Chase several times recently because he wanted to bring the rest of the team to Angel Grove. They were stronger together, but Chase insisted Kira didn't want the teams coming back to town yet. This had led to Sage finally calling him to put her foot down. Tyler had explained his feeling that his dad was trying to warn him, and that was why Troy now stood in front of him.

"It's good to see you, Troy," Tyler said. "So, am I paranoid, or is something going on?"

"I promise I'll figure that out," Troy said. "If it's your father's spirit, I'll sense him."

Tyler nodded. "How's your mom?"

"She's busy, as usual. That's part of why she had me come instead of coming herself. They got Lieutenant Stone, but Mom was able to restore his light. He's okay for the most part, just shaken up. Mom is also helping with a ton of other things. She had Prince Phillip fly in just to make a guy who was being super racist to Koda at her shop feel like he was about two inches tall... Mom hates racists in general, and you know how she feels about Koda."

"Is Prince Phillip still there?" Tyler was stunned another member of his team was in Angel Grove.

"No, he flew back to Zandar this morning. It was just a quick visit. She's working on something she won't even tell _me_ about... She seems a little upset. She was in the Underworld for a little bit and I think she had a fight with her mother, but she won't say much about it."

"Wow... That's not good."

"Definitely not." Troy agreed. He paused. "I feel James," he admitted. "Your dad is around you, and not just in the casual way... I'm not sure what he's trying to tell you, but I'm going to try to figure it out."

"So I'm not crazy?"

"Nope. Be careful, Tyler. Protect your team here, and once I know if you need to come to Angel Grove, I'll be back in touch."

Tyler nodded. "Thanks, Troy... For at least hearing me out and not dismissing this."

"No problem. I'll talk to you soon." Troy left and Tyler tried to figure out what to do now that he knew something was going on.

 _ **BRIAN**_

He had never auditioned for an American show before. Brian was excited and nervous as he sat beside Liza. "Liza Campbell and Brian Kwan, Pairs Audition!" The producer called.

"This is it," Liza said with a grin. She led him toward the stage confidently.

"They'll be auditioning for... _Sandy_ and _Danny..."_ The producer said.

"Hold on," the director said. "Don't you think you two would be better as _Rizzo_ and _Kenickie?"_

"Look, Stockard Channing is the Queen, and I do a great rendition of _There Are Worse Things,_ but I'm here looking to challenge myself. Shouldn't you hear us audition before you judge us?" Liza asked.

"I understand, but... Well... _Sandy_ and _Danny_ are iconic, and our audience will expect certain... Qualities."

Brian was confused at first, until Liza frowned. "You mean we're not White enough to play those characters. Look, this is community theater, not Broadway. There is no law that says _Sandy_ can't be Black or that _Danny_ can't be Korean."

The director realized he'd screwed up. "Of course not... That's not what I meant... Please, by all means, audition."

Liza nodded at Brian encouragingly. "We've got this," she said.

He smiled at her. "Ready when you are," he replied.

"Cue up our music," Liza snapped at the director. Her rage was _very_ worthy of _Rizzo,_ but the second the music hit, she transformed into sweet, innocent _Sandy._ Brian easily fell into the audition they'd prepared, a medley of _Sandy_ and _Danny's_ best moments, starting with excerpts from _Summer Nights,_ _Hopelessly Devoted to You, Greased Lightning, Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee,_ a random dance break for _Born to Hand Jive,_ and finally, the full version of _You're the One that I Want._ The choreography, singing, and acting involved were straight out of a professional performance. When they finished, the director, producer, and stage manager stared at them in shock.

"Amazing! That's the best audition we've seen all day!" The stage manager said.

"Forget what the director said... You guys are perfect," the producer added.

The director frowned, then nodded. "You did very well," he admitted.

"The parts are yours," the producer decided for everyone.

"Keep them," Liza said with a grin. She looked at Brian, who nodded encouragingly. He understood why she was walking away. "Next time, don't be a racist, typecasting asshole." She linked her arm through Brian's and led him away with their heads held high.

Once they were outside, Liza let go of him. "Sorry you did all that hard work for nothing," she said.

"Are you _crazy?_ That dramatic showing we did back there and the looks on their faces were _totally_ worth it!" Brian said with a laugh.

"There will be other shows run by better people."

"Exactly. We'll get parts in those instead. Come on, Liza. I'll buy you ice cream to make up for that creep."

"That sounds like fun," Liza agreed. Brian cheerfully led her to his favorite ice cream spot. He was convinced that there was _nothing_ in life that ice cream couldn't fix.

 _ **JEN**_

She was looking over a file when she felt eyes on her. "Alex? Can I help you with something?" She dryly asked her ex, who was unfortunately technically her boss.

"Stalking my ancestor again?" He asked in annoyance.

"No," Jen replied in equal annoyance. "For your information, I was checking on Lucas."

"Lucas is fine. He and the airhead from Turbo somehow completed their mission successfully. The only reason I didn't order him to return here is that the battle is coming. It's pointless to recall him just to send him back in a little while."

"Cassie is _not_ an airhead," Jen said, sticking up for her fellow Pink Ranger.

"She nearly destroyed the future and sentenced us to a world where Astronema turned Earth into Onyx," he reminded her.

He wasn't wrong, but since Lucas had somehow fixed that problem, it didn't seem fair to dwell on it. "She thought she could save the man she loved. _Some_ of us would do _anything_ if given that chance."

Alex wouldn't look at her. "Just focus on doing your job. Stop wasting time and resources, Jen." He walked away.

"Dick..." Jen mumbled.

"Who pissed in _his_ coffee?" Katie asked as she and Trip walked over to her.

"He _has_ been crankier than usual lately," Trip agreed.

"I'm going to find out," Jen decided. "God, _what_ did I ever see in him?"

"He's nice to look at," Katie teased her.

"Not as nice as Wes."

"But, Jen, they look almost identical," Trip said in confusion.

"Yeah, but when _Wes_ smiles, it actually reaches his eyes." She missed Wes _so_ much at times, but she couldn't focus on that. She changed the subject back to Alex. "Do you know that he blocked me from accessing some files? They hold information about the coming battle in Angel Grove. Where does he get off? We _need_ to know what's supposed to happen so we can protect the time line. I mean, that's _only_ our _job,_ right?"

"Let me try... I bet _I_ can hack in," Trip said.

Jen stood up and let Trip begin to use her computer. To her surprise, one of her communication devices began to ring. She answered it cautiously. "Hello?" She asked softly, so Alex wouldn't overhear her if he walked by.

"Hey, Jen. It's Sage," Sage greeted her. Aside from Lucas and Wes, only Tommy, Kira, Andros, and Sage could communicate directly with Time Force in the future.

"Hey, Sage. What's up?" Jen asked.

"I need you to send me the files you have on the Rebellion Chapter led by Jaybert, especially the information about Amareese."

"I'd love to, Sage, but we're locked out of half of our files right now... Alex is power tripping."

"Tell him _I'm_ demanding the files. It's important."

"He's not the most cooperative... But Trip's trying to get our access back as we speak."

Suddenly, just as Trip was nearly in, the power went out. "Shit! What just happened?" Katie asked.

"Power failure," Trip said with a shrug.

"At the same time that you're trying to hack into restricted files? I don't _think_ so," Jen said.

"Jen... I don't like this," Sage said. "Stay together. I'm coming to you."

"Sage, you can't just come to the future."

"I can with help. Give me a few minutes." Sage severed the connection.

"What do you think she's up to?" Katie asked.

"I don't know... But I trust Sage. Let's see if she can help us out," Jen replied.

As someone passed around flashlights and evacuated their floor, Jen and her team hid in the shadows. "I made a copy before the power failed," Trip said softly, showing Jen and Katie a flash drive. "If Sage takes this to Lucas, he's got the tech to pull it up. I should be able to help him unencrypt the files from there."

"Trip, you're _amazing,"_ Jen said.

"Nice job," Katie agreed.

A minute later, Sage snuck in. "Jen?" She called softly.

"Over here," Jen replied.

Sage walked toward them with someone else. "The Phantom Ranger?" Katie asked.

"Greetings and salutations, Time Force Rangers," the Phantom Ranger said.

"Hi!" Trip said cheerfully.

"He's got a ship that can travel through different times and realms. He's also brilliant, so I thought he might be able to help," Sage explained.

"I couldn't unlock the file, but I copied it," Trip said. He offered them the flash drive.

Sage plugged it into Trip's laptop, which still had some battery life, and looked it over. "I can get you guys access again," she said. "I just need to hack into the security system."

"I can help with that," the Phantom Ranger offered. "Let me restore power, just to the security system." He began working on it even as he said the words. Within moments, the security system came back to life.

Sage was able to hack in easily. She quickly set to work. "There..." She said. "This should restore your access through a back door. Alex will never even know you're looking around."

"Why would Alex encrypt and restrict files?" Trip asked.

"He has to be in control at all times," Jen replied. "It's not that unusual for him to pull something like this." Even as she said it, Jen wondered if there was more to it. What was going on?

"Well, we'll look over the files Trip copied and see if we can make sense of them," Sage said. "Just let me copy the one I need..." She used Trip's computer to copy the Rebellion file.

"It's in Eltarian," Trip said apologetically.

"There are several Eltarians around I can ask to help me translate it," Sage said. "Okay, we need to go and you guys need to get out of the building before Alex realizes you didn't evacuate."

"Right. Get in touch when you can," Jen said.

Sage took the Phantom Ranger and left. "Guys... Be careful," Jen said.

"Of what?" Trip asked.

"Of who we trust... Just keep things between the three of us for now."

"What about Alex?"

"I don't know if we can trust him either. He could just be power tripping, but... If it's more than that... We can't take any chances." It was hard for Jen to say, but it wouldn't be the first time Alex lied to them for what he deemed the greater good. "He may be compromised."

"Jen... What are you hinting at?" Katie asked in surprise.

"I'm just saying that, until we're sure it's safe, we can't trust _anyone_ but each other. If we need help, we'll go to Wes and Lucas, and the Rangers in Angel Grove."

Katie nodded. Trip nervously said, "Okay... Whatever you say, Jen."

Jen led the others outside, easily slipping into the crowd of Time Force personnel. Alex was busy trying to maintain order and didn't seem to notice they'd been missing the entire time. Jen put an annoyed expression on her face at the sight of him, knowing anything else would be suspicious. Considering she was actually angry with the way he'd spoken to her earlier, it wasn't hard to do.

 _ **CONNER**_

The last thing in the world that he expected was to be summoned to the woods by Lido of all people. "Are you serious?" Conner asked Kira. "Kira, we should be out looking for Hayley. I don't have time for this."

Kira looked at him nervously. "Look, Conner... Something came up last night," Kira said. "Since I'm in charge of everything here, Caius came to me with it. Trust me, it's important."

Her expression and tone worried him. "Kira... Just _tell_ me. Please."

She sighed. "Fine. It's better you know beforehand anyway... Conner, last night, Lido rescued a kid from Zell. She was unconscious and in bad shape, but she's doing much better now. Apparently, she heals freakishly fast. Anyway, the kid... Well, apparently, you know her. She's one of your soccer kids... A girl who goes by Denni."

Conner was surprised. "Denni? She's the best damn player I've ever met, but she's just a normal high school kid... What would Zell want with her?"

"See, that's the part we're still working on, but the thing is... She's a Scott, Conner."

"A Scott? Don't tell me Jason's got _another_ long-lost kid!"

"More like a long-lost _niece,_ actually... The daughter of his equally long-lost brother."

"Jason has a long-lost brother?"

"He has _two,_ actually... They're _twins,_ Conner." She emphasized this, clearly waiting for him to catch onto something. When he said nothing, Kira added, "And Denni's father is a Red Ranger..."

"So?"

"You're such an idiot sometimes... Conner, she's _yours. You're_ the long-lost brother."

He stared at her with his jaw dropped. "That's impossible, Kira!" He protested.

"Apparently not. I'm sorry, Conner. Doctor K ran a very thorough DNA test after Caius got the initial results. There's no way you're _not_ Jason's half-brother... Your mom and Jason's dad must have had an affair at some point... You know how the Scott men get around, and you told me your mom and dad got married _after_ you were born. I'm sorry, but DNA doesn't lie even if people do, and we don't have time for you to freak out about this because Denni needs you. The kid is a perfect match for you. She _could_ be your twin brother's, but that's unlikely given the fact that Zell kidnapped her."

Conner tried to process her words. "She's mine... I've seen the girl play soccer. I can't deny the similarities." He shook his head. "Why wouldn't her mother have told me? I never even met the woman... Who is she?"

"We don't know. Her so-called mother could be a tulpa for all we know. Chances are decent that Zell hid the kid in the past. She could have been conceived a lot more recently than you think."

"This is insane... Is she okay? You said Zell hurt her..."

"From what Caius said, she's fine. Zell definitely hurt her... Physically. Caius is pretty sure that's as far as it went... But she was healing fast last night and apparently, this morning she woke up covered in cuts and they vanished almost instantly. I'm guessing she shadow travels like Ollie and didn't realize she was doing it. He started off doing it in his sleep, too. Anyway, Zell must have given her some instant healing ability. It probably activated this morning."

"But... She's okay?" That was as far as he got.

Kira softened a bit. "Yeah, Con. She's okay," she confirmed gently.

He nodded. "Okay... Let's go."

Kira led him to the woods. Lido apparently lived in a hut. As soon as they reached it, he opened the door. The huge man said nothing as he stepped aside to let Conner and Kira in.

Conner spotted Denni sitting on a cot looking uncharacteristically nervous. That girl typically oozed confidence. She shared that trait with him, among others. He really looked at her now, trying to find himself in her features. There were definitely similarities he'd never noticed before.

"Hey..." He said lamely.

"Hey yourself," Denni said casually.

"So, um... Kira just told me..."

She nodded. "Cool. So we're on the same page." Denni shrugged. "Look, I know this is weird for you. It's weird for me, too... But we can figure it out together."

He nodded, relieved she was taking things well enough. "Are you doing okay?" He asked.

"I'll be fine. Lido's taking good care of me, and apparently, I heal almost instantly. That's new, by the way, but I guess it'll make soccer injuries suck less." She flashed him a grin that matched his own.

"Wow... That's uncanny," Kira mumbled, apparently seeing the resemblance as well. She looked at him. "Will you be okay from here?" She asked.

"Yeah... Go back to the search. Call me if you find anything," Conner replied.

Kira nodded. "See you later," she said before walking away.

"Lido mentioned you guys were spending a lot of time in the woods... What are you searching for?" Denni asked.

"A friend of ours," Conner explained. "Her name is Hayley. She went missing recently, and we're positive Zell's evil daughter Katherine took her. Kat's the ex-wife of Doctor Oliver, our former mentor-slash-teammate. Doctor O, or Tommy as most people call him, was always really close to Hayley. There was never anything romantic between them, but Kat was really jealous of her. Anyway, my team... The Dino Thunder Power Rangers... We came here to find Hayley. Kira lives here with her boyfriend and Doctor O now, but Ethan, Trent, and I live back in Reefside, like Hayley."

"You're really worried about her... I can see it in your eyes," Denni said.

"Hayley is family... And we already lost enough family recently. We're _not_ losing Hayley." He sighed. "It's just... I know what Kat can do to her, and I know that Zell can do even more and won't hesitate to... We have to get her back, sooner rather than later."

"I'm sorry, Conner. It's obvious how much she means to you."

Conner was about to reply when Denni suddenly vanished. "Denni? Denni! What the hell just happened?"

Lido frowned. "It appears she has shadow traveled again," he said.

"What? Call Ollie! He can go after her-"

"She will return on her own. Calm yourself. Her powers spontaneously unlocked today, or late last night. She is learning to control them."

Conner wanted to argue as panic seized him, but he knew it was pointless. It wasn't like _he_ could go after her. He had just learned he was a Scott. If he had magic other than the super speed his Ranger powers gave him, he sure as hell had no clue what it was. The only thing he could do was wait and pray his daughter returned to him safely.

 _You accepted that awfully quick,_ he thought. He'd only seen Denni a few times a year at most over the years, but he'd always liked the kid. She had an enormous amount of talent and enjoyed sarcasm as much as Conner did. She was smart and gifted and he was proud to be able to say he'd had a hand in training her, however small his role had been. Knowing she was actually his daughter might confuse him, but he was still kind of honored. He couldn't have asked for a cooler kid.

 _Please bring her back to me safely,_ he thought. If anything happened to her, he didn't know what he'd do.

 _ **HAYLEY**_

Mora had vanished. At first, it was a relief, but now, Hayley would give anything to suffer through another tea party with the psychotic child or woman or whatever she was. In Mora's absence, Katherine had started slicing her up. Katherine really seemed to enjoy inflicting superficial injuries to Hayley. Nothing was even remotely fatal, but a lack of food other than scones had left her weak. She'd also been forced to drink nothing but tea. Katherine never gave her food or even water, so with Mora gone and no longer demanding Hayley join her for tea parties, Hayley hadn't eaten or drank anything in days.

"Where's Mora?" She finally managed to ask as Katherine cleaned off the knife she'd just been using to cut Hayley's arms up.

Katherine frowned at her. "None of your business," she snapped.

Hayley knew she'd hit a nerve. "What happened, Katherine? Did she turn on you?"

"No," Katherine replied sharply. " _Kimberly_ happened. The whore attacked me and forced Mora to help her escape from my father."

Hayley felt sick. Zell had taken _Kimberly?_ A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Had he hurt her? Had he hurt the _baby?_ Tommy must be flipping out...

"So Kimberly escaped?" She asked.

"Rita's brat and Bulk saved the bitch and her offspring... But my father punished Mora for her weakness..." She shook her head. "She's only a child. She doesn't _know_ any better, and Kimberly threatened her."

Hayley almost cried with relief. Instead, she pounced on Katherine's one clear vulnerable point. "Did he hurt Mora?" She asked, feigning concern. "Mora's been kind to me... I would hate to see her get hurt."

"He kept her unconscious for a bit, but I heard her crying earlier today... She's awake, and she's terrified, but he won't allow me to see her. He says she must learn her lesson. He's right, of course. Tommy never had the balls to discipline Katie and that's why she was so out of control. Children need a firm hand. Still, I didn't want to listen to her begging for help, so I came to see you... Which _reminds_ me..." She picked up a different knife than the one she'd just finished cleaning.

Hayley recognized that knife. It was coated with some sort of chemical that made it a thousand times more painful than the others. The wounds might be superficial, but it was almost impossible not to scream when Katherine used this weapon. She braced herself for the agony she knew was coming.

Suddenly, a girl she didn't know appeared. "Who the hell are _you?"_ Katherine demanded.

The girl's eyes went wide at the sight of Katherine, the knife, and Hayley tied to a chair. She immediately moved toward Hayley. Katherine reacted swiftly by trying to attack her. The girl had amazing reflexes and fought back well. She threw herself into the air and delivered a kick to Katherine's chest that knocked her back.

"Soccer," the girl explained to Hayley with a grin before deflecting another attack from Katherine.

 _My God... She's the spitting image of Conner,_ Hayley realized with surprise.

Suddenly, Katherine went for her sword. "Look out!" Hayley screamed.

The sword connected, piercing the girl's heart. Katherine pulled it out, laughing cruelly. "Now that _that's_ handled..." She said as she came toward Hayley with her most sadistic expression yet.

Suddenly, another kick was delivered to Katherine. This time, it hit her head. The girl was no longer bleeding and only her stained shirt betrayed her injuries. She looked fine as she untied Hayley and said, "Come on!"

The girl grabbed her arm before touching a shadow. Suddenly, they were in a hut of some sort. Conner gasped in shock. "Hayley? Denni, _how?"_ He asked.

"I don't know... I just found her with some crazy blue woman," the girl replied.

"You're bleeding!"

"I already healed. It's no big deal. But Hayley's hurt."

Conner immediately rushed to Hayley. "Are you okay?" He asked. "Lido, do you have anything to treat cuts?"

"Yes," the man he called Lido said, walking away presumably to find the supplies.

"God, Hayley... What did they do to you?" Conner asked in horror.

"It was just Katherine and Mora, and Mora never hurt me. She treated me like a doll at a tea party. It was creepy, but harmless, and it got food into me. I'm okay, Conner. Just shaken up, but not seriously injured. How's the team?"

"We've been looking for you like crazy... But we're okay. Except Doctor O. Kira put him on house arrest."

"Oh no... What did he do?"

"He said some really stupid things to her... And pissed her off enough that she called him _Tommy."_

"Damnit. That is _not_ good."

"He snapped because they had you and Kimberly... She's fine, though. The baby, too."

"Thank goodness..."

Lido returned and silently began tending to her wounds. "Thank you, Lido," she said. "And thank _you,_ Denni... Wait, where _is_ she?" Hayley asked.

Conner turned around to look where Denni had been. "Damnit, not _again!"_ He cursed.

"What just happened?"

"She shadow travels, apparently uncontrollably," Conner explained.

"Shadow travels? Like Ollie?"

"Yes, because she's his cousin... And my daughter. And I just found all of this out today."

"Your _daughter?_ "

"Yes, and Jason's niece... My only explanation for her existing is Zell... And I had no idea I was related to Jason."

"I've missed a lot..."

"So have _I,_ apparently," Conner said with a humorless laugh. "I guess our lives will never be dull, right?"

"Where do you think she went?"

"No idea... Last time, she came back with _you._ She could be _anywhere."_

Even Lido looked concerned. "We must get Denni to Sage. She needs to learn control as soon as possible," he said.

"Right. I'll work on that as soon as we have her back. Let me call Kira and the guys so they stop looking for you, Hayley. It's dangerous. Zell's making evil Rangers... Syd attacked us recently."

"SPD Syd?" Hayley asked in alarm.

"Yeah. She went after Doctor O, but we saved him. Syd got away. That was the night Kira flipped on him. On top of that, Kat's killing Rangers left and right."

"How many have we lost?" Hayley asked grimly.

"At last count... Four, I think? It might be more... And two more should be on the list, but one of Vida's kids resurrected two of his teammates. Plus, we know Syd's evil and there may be others. Kat turned Lieutenant Stone, but Sage saved him."

"Jerome? Oh my God... Is he okay?" As a non-Ranger, Hayley had spent a decent amount of time around him and the other "civilians" during the battle to save Tommy. The Lieutenant was a charming, good-hearted man and she respected him deeply.

"I think he will be. He's stronger than people realize." Conner pressed a button on his communicator. "Kira, come in," he said.

"Go for Kira," she replied.

"Bring the guys to Lido's. We've got Hayley."

"What?! How? Is she okay?"

"I'll survive," Hayley said loudly as Conner was about to reply.

"I'll have one of the Alphas teleport us. Be right there." Less than a minute later, Kira, Ethan, and Trent appeared. "Hayley!" Kira cried as she flung her arms around her. She pulled back only to take in Hayley's injuries. "Excuse me, but..." She touched something to Hayley's skin. Nothing happened.

"What is that?" Hayley asked.

"It reads energy. It's specifically designed to test for the energy of Zell's flames. Doctor K created it after running a few tests while Lieutenant Stone was unconscious and still evil. It glows red if someone's been turned. Congratulations... You passed," Kira explained with a smile. "Sorry, but we can't be too careful."

"Did she make those for everyone?" Ethan asked. "Because that's pretty useful."

"Nope. This is one of two. She still has the other one, but since I'm running things and am always in the field, she gave me one of the prototypes." She paused thoughtfully. "I wonder how it reacts to someone who was cured."

Lido frowned. "I dislike technology," he said, guessing where her mind had gone.

"Come on, Lido," Ethan said. "It's for _science_!"

Hayley didn't know Lido, but he didn't strike her as someone who that argument would work on. "If we see the reaction, we can spot the difference between someone evil and someone who has been purified... It's about safety," she said practically.

Lido frowned again. "Fine. Be quick," he said.

Kira touched the device to him. It immediately began glowing with a brilliant blue aura. "It's blue... Does that mean it's a boy?" Conner asked.

Kira automatically whacked the back of his head. "It _means_ Lido has his light back," she said.

"Yet the flames can still be detected," Lido said softly. He looked so upset by this that Hayley immediately felt sorry for him.

"Lido, we know you're one of the good guys," Kira quickly reassured him.

"The flames change a soul, Kira. No one can ever fully return to who they once were. This merely confirms my suspicion that the flames shall always be part of me. Your friend requires more wound dressings. Excuse me." He walked away.

"Damn... I didn't realize he'd get upset over this," Kira said. "I'm still trying to figure him out."

"Who exactly _is_ he?" Hayley asked.

"Lido's an Eltarian Rebel. He knew Zell before Zordon was even born. He's the first person that Zell ever used the flames on," Kira explained.

"How do you even keep all of these guys straight?" Ethan asked. "Which Eltarian is which? Rebels, Eltarian Military, Ranger Guard kids... There are a _lot_ of Eltarians running around now."

"Don't forget about Greg," Trent said casually.

"Which one's Greg again?"

"Jesus, Ethan, get your head out of your books and away from your video games once in awhile and pay attention," Kira scolded him. "Better question... Conner, where's Denni?"

"Shadow traveling, apparently," Conner said with a sigh.

"Super. Should I call Ollie?"

"Lido seems to think we should just let her wander on her own... I don't know. I'm worried."

"Look at you, protective like a father already."

"I know her. She's a good kid... And considering Zell had her... Yeah, I'm going into protective dad mode."

"Did you say... _Dad_?" Ethan asked.

"When did you have a kid?" Trent added.

"We're not sure," Conner said. "Zell may have used time travel."

"So just another typical day around here?" Trent joked lightly.

"Pretty much."

"If you need any help, let me know," Hayley said. "After all, I have a ton of experience raising teenagers. You all turned out pretty well." She grinned at him.

Lido returned with more bandages. He didn't say a word as he continued to patch her up. "I appreciate your help, Lido," Hayley told him with a kind smile. He nodded, still not speaking. Hayley decided it was best to leave him alone, and the others seemed to agree.

 _ **DENNI**_

She looked around at the beautiful area she found herself in as she emerged from the shadow of a tree. "Hmmm… Well, _Toto…_ We're not in Kansas anymore," she decided aloud, speaking to the crystal she pulled out of her pocket. The Red Lion inside brought her some comfort as she examined her surroundings.

"Intruder! Identify yourself!" A man said harshly.

Denni actually jumped and immediately hid the crystal in her pocket again. She hadn't sensed the man coming. He paused as he got a better look at her. "Do I… Do I _know_ you?" He asked uncertainly.

The stranger was handsome and seemed oddly familiar, but she had no idea who he was. "I'm not sure," she said. "I feel like… Maybe…"

"Who are you?" He asked much more patiently.

"Denni. I'm Denni."

"How did you find this place?"

"I'm not sure… I think I came here via shadows. That's been happening to me a lot."

"Shadows… How… Odd. And yet, familiar. Almost as though we have had this conversation before." He paused. "I am Merrick. This land is called the Animarium."

"Merrick? You're the guy Lido was telling me about! The Power Ranger!"

He tensed up immediately. "I do not know a man named Lido. Who is he and why would he know about the Power Rangers?"

Denni pulled out her crystal. "He told me you might be able to help me figure out why I have this."

Merrick stared at her in shock. "Impossible…" He whispered.

"Look, here's the short version… I was kidnapped by this evil dude named Zell. He swore I had magic he wanted me to use, but I didn't… At least, as far as I knew. Anyway, he tried to torture it out of me, but that didn't work. Lido came after me. He risked his safety to do it, and he saved me. When I woke up in his home, I had this in my back pocket. I don't know what it is or where it came from, but he told me it was tied to your team…" She hesitated, not wanting to upset him. "Lido thinks that a new team is forming, Merrick… And that the crystal chose me to be the Red Ranger."

Merrick was impossible to read. His face did not offer the slightest hint of what he might be thinking. "I must consult with Princess Shayla."

"Princess?"

"Yes. She helped guide the previous teams."

"Teams… As in plural?"

Merrick did not look at her as he said, "The most recent team was the first to guard the crystals in a very long time, but they were not the original team. The first team died long ago… And that is the team from which I came."

"You're not part of the newer team?"

"I suppose I was, in the most technical sense… I considered them my team after a time, yes… However, I did not originate with them."

"Dude… Don't be offended, but I have to ask… How old _are_ you?"

"Much older than you think." He offered her a slight smile then. "Denni… I have a sense we have indeed already met. I believe this exact conversation has happened before… Which means that someone has taken it from us."

"Zell?"

"Perhaps… But I do not believe that is the case." He closed his eyes for a moment. "No… I feel Shayla's energy on you. She must have cast a spell to take our memories for your protection. Perhaps she knew Zell would seek you out."

"Well, can I have them back? I mean, if I'm supposed to lead a team, I should know what I'm doing, right?"

"I feel someone else on you as well… Cole." He sounded sad as he said this. "He was a hero to the end… And I believe he guided this crystal to you. If that is the case, the others may have guided their crystals as well."

"What sort of people would they choose?"

He paused thoughtfully. "The Yellow crystal is probably in the hands of someone with a Military background. Taylor was very battle minded and was from the Military. She'd look for someone similar to her… Someone brave and probably quite stubborn who would be able to get the job done no matter what. As for the others, I cannot be certain, but they would probably look for people with logical connections to the battle…"

"Other legacies?"

He considered her words. "Are _you_ a legacy?"

"Apparently, my father is Conner McKnight. I just found that out, though. They think Zell used time travel to hide me."

"He does do things of that nature… Interesting. I doubt all of the crystals went to people Zell hid, however. That would be too easy." He paused, clearly ticking off a list of people in his mind. "There is no way to tell for certain until you find the crystals."

"Maybe I can use mine to track the others?"

"I suppose… Let me bring you to the Princess, Denni. She can help us figure this out."

Denni nodded. "Okay. Lead the way." She followed him.

Princess Shayla looked like a hippie from the 1960s had been crossed with a Greek Goddess. She was ethereal, beautiful, and had a pleasant expression on her face. "Hello, Denni," she greeted her warmly. "Welcome back!"

"Welcome back? You mean I've been here before?" Denni asked.

"Yes, of course. Where else do you think you encountered the Red Lion? That's why it has appeared in your crystal. I'm sorry I had to hide these facts from you. I cast a spell to ensure that, should Zell find you, you'd forget everything you knew about Wild Force. If you didn't remember, he couldn't pull the information out of your mind."

"Princess… I understand why you took Denni's memories, but why did I lose mine?" Merrick asked in confusion.

"It was the only way, Merrick. If you remembered her, you would have sensed she was in danger, and if you went after her, Zell would have become suspicious. I do hope he didn't hurt you too badly…" Shayla added to Denni.

"It was bad, but I healed… And now, I know I heal impossibly fast. In fact, I have this feeling that I'm immortal because of him, too."

"Immortal? Why would he give you immortality?" Merrick asked.

"I think he was planning to use me as a weapon… But I don't like that plan. I'm no one's puppet."

"Your mind will need to be checked and cleared… But you are safe here. Princess Shayla's magic will protect you from his influence for now."

"Great… So how do we find the others?"

Shayla looked into the water. "There are two of them now," she said, pulling up bubbles with two separate images.

"Wait… That's Maddie, the daughter of the Yellow Zeo Ranger, Tanya," Merrick said as he saw one of the images. "She lost her powers as a Ranger and as one of the Chosen."

"It seems the Universe has decided Maddie is worthy of a new destiny," Shayla said pleasantly. "Sweet Alyssa made an excellent choice."

"I do not know this other one…" Merrick said, studying the other bubble.

"Whoever she is, she is from Eltar," Shayla said. "That is the only thing I can tell you for certain."

"Eltar… Lido and his friends are Eltarian," Denni said. "Maybe she's one of them."

"If Taylor deemed her worthy, that is good enough for me. Denni, when you find them, you must help them. As the Red Ranger, it is your job to lead the team. Merrick will help you, of course."

Merrick sighed. "I suppose I will," he agreed.

"I know you've lost a lot, Merrick… But apparently, I can't die, so don't worry. I'm not going anywhere," Denni said.

This actually seemed to comfort him. He nodded. "We must find the Black and Blue Rangers," he said. "The sooner the team begins to train, the better for everyone involved."

"How do we find them? I mean, they didn't show up in the bubbles…"

"I must call on Danny and Max's spirits… They will guide us to their successors," Shayla replied. "Until then, you must return home, Denni. Seek help to guard your mind from Zell, and do not leave Lido… I sense he will protect you until your mind is safe from the Great Wizard of Eltar."

Denni nodded. "Okay," she said. "In the meantime, how do I reach you if I need help?"

"Call for me on the Wind," Merrick said. "I will know you need me, and I give my word that I will answer the call."

"Thank you," she said. She hugged him, not sure where the instinct came from. Merrick seemed confused and yet oddly comforted by the hug. He finally hugged her back.

"Be safe," Merrick said to her.

"I'll do my best," she promised. Then, she touched a shadow and found herself back in Lido's hut.

"Thank God!" Conner cried in relief. "Are you hurt?"

"No… I wasn't anywhere dangerous this time… I was… With a friend," Denni replied.

"A friend?" Conner repeated.

"Let's just say that it's complicated," Denni said.

Kira frowned. "Just a second," she said. She touched something to Denni's arm. It lit up in a deep purple color. "Purple? What the actual fuck does _purple_ mean?" Kira demanded.

Lido frowned. "She has been touched by the flames… I can sense that myself… But not in the way that I was," he said. "It is almost as though… She _is_ the flames."

"That makes no sense," Conner said.

"Um, guys? I'm lost," Denni said.

"I need to talk to Doctor K and figure this out," Kira said. "Don't worry, Denni. I'm sure it's just a glitch… Like an inconclusive result or something." She excused herself, and no one else said anything for a minute.

"Okay… Who wants pizza? I'm starving," Trent said, breaking the silence. "I'm buying, and we can take this time to get to know Conner's daughter."

"Denni, that's Trent, and over there is Ethan," Conner explained. "They make up the rest of my team of Power Rangers."

"Cool," Denni said. "Nice to meet you guys. Especially you, Trent, because pizza sounds amazing."

Trent smiled. "I'll go pick it up… I don't think they deliver to the woods. See you guys in a bit." He headed out.

Denni turned toward Lido. "Can we talk for a minute?" She asked.

"Of course," Lido replied. He led her just outside of the hut. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing… But do you know an Eltarian girl who looks kind of… Goth-like? And maybe has an attitude and experience in the Military?" Denni asked.

"I have heard people describe B'Danna as gothic, and she is a fully trained warrior with experience in the Eltarian Military. Why do you ask?"

"Because I think she may have one of the crystals from Wild Force… I need to talk to her."

"I can arrange a meeting."

"Can I see her now?"

"I suppose. I shall send Zuzu to fetch her."

A few minutes later, the girl she'd seen in the bubble came toward them. "Is something wrong?" She asked Lido.

"This is Denni. You should speak with her," Lido said before walking back into his hut.

B'Danna frowned. "What is this about?" She asked.

"It's B'Danna, right?" Denni asked. "Or do you have a nickname?"

"Not really. I suppose you can call me Bea if you absolutely _must_. Why has Lido brought me here?"

"Did you find a crystal recently? A yellow one?"

B'Danna hesitated. "Yes," she finally decided to admit. "What do you know of it?"

Denni pulled her own crystal out. "I have one, too. Apparently they belonged to a deceased team of Power Rangers called Wild Force."

"Then they should be returned to the Power Rangers. Here." B'Danna tried to hand it to her.

"No, B'Danna… The crystals choose their guardians. This one chose you. I see the Eagle's even inside. Did you see it in person?"

"I've been dreaming of it," B'Danna admitted.

"The crystal is yours, B'Danna. You're a Power Ranger now."

B'Danna actually laughed at that. "You're barking up the wrong tree, Denni. I'm no Power Ranger."

"Isn't that what they all say at first?"

"I'm an Eltarian Rebel… A fugitive wanted for High Treason on Eltar. I'm a murderer."

Denni considered this. "I have a feeling you had your reasons for doing whatever you did, B'Danna."

"Look, I received a message from the new Prime Minister of Eltar this morning. She looked into my history because it seems Sage asked her to, and she offered to pardon me for reasons I do not know. I told her to keep her pardon. I will not return to Eltar. My place is with the Rebellion. This is my home. I am not going to return to Eltar, I am not going to abandon Captain Smith and the Rebels, and I am not joining the Power Rangers."

"I don't know if you have a choice… It seems like destiny chooses us… Besides, B'Danna… This feels right, and I think you feel it, too."

"I feel _nothing."_

"When you touch the crystal, it feels like it is yours to protect… It responds to you. Right?"

B'Danna reluctantly nodded. "Yes… But it must be a mistake. I am not meant to be a Power Ranger. If you knew my history… If you knew everything I have done… You would agree." She didn't sound emo or like she was knocking herself. B'Danna was simply stating facts. She knew what she had done in the past and she owned it.

"I won't judge you by your past actions, B'Danna… But this is a chance to make new choices… And I have a feeling you'd be exactly the kind of person I should have watching my back. I can't explain why, but I trust you."

B'Danna looked genuinely surprised by that. "Look… I feel the truth in your words. For whatever reason, the crystal has chosen me… And I cannot deny that I have been looking for a purpose in life recently… I lost someone important to me, and I feel as if he is saying, 'See? This is what you've been looking for!' I can't ignore that because the feeling is overwhelming… So I will give this a try… But I make no promises."

"That's fair." She offered B'Danna her hand. B'Danna shook it. "I'll be in touch when I find the others. You can't tell anyone, B'Danna… We have to keep this a secret. Right now, Zell doesn't know that Wild Force is coming back, and that's our only advantage."

"I understand. I will speak of it to no one," B'Danna vowed.

Denni was smiling as she walked back into the hut. She'd found one team member already, plus Merrick. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all. A girl could hope…

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **RJ**_

The day had started off ordinarily enough. Lily and Casey were making pizza. Fran was taking orders from the customers. Dominic was goofing off. RJ was supervising. It was just business as usual. Then, things went terribly wrong.

RJ had taken a break upstairs when he smelled smoke. At first, he logically assumed someone had burnt a pizza. He realized how strong the scent was and became concerned. He made his way downstairs and that was when he saw it… The entire restaurant was on fire.

The customers had all fled and escaped. His employees, however, had stayed behind to try and put the fire out. RJ admired their dedication until he realized they looked ready for a fight. "What's going on?" He asked.

"We've got uninvited guests," Casey explained. He motioned toward the dining area, where several figures stood. Most were unidentified monsters, but one in particular stood out to RJ.

"Is that Katherine Hillard?" He asked.

"Yep," Dominic confirmed.

"Oh no… That's not good," RJ said.

"You _think_?" Lily asked sarcastically.

"Lily… Are you good? If you want, focus on protecting Fran. Get her out of here. We can hold down the fort." Not so long ago, Lily had lost her brand new husband, Theo. He'd given his life to save her and who knew how many others. He'd already been fatally wounded when he shoved Lily through the exit and intentionally set off an explosion that caused him to drown along with the majority of the Machine Empire. Lily had screamed until RJ somehow made her realize she was going to get everyone killed if she didn't stop. He'd held her while she grieved and had helped her get through the rest of the fight. No one talked about that day after Theo was buried, and Lily mostly functioned as if nothing happened, but he could see the grief in her eyes when she thought no one was looking.

"There is no way in Hell I'm leaving you guys here," Lily said firmly. She looked at RJ with eyes that begged him not to make her go. He couldn't bring himself to force her to leave considering what had happened to Theo.

"Okay," he said. "Just cover Fran the best you can, and follow my lead. Casey, stay with me. Dominic, I want you to cover the sides. Let's see if we can put out the fire and take Katherine down."

Casey was already in leader mode. He got everyone to focus quickly. Together, the team headed toward Katherine, ready to fight to the bitter end.

Katherine laughed as they approached. "How adorable," she taunted them. "They think their Can-Do Attitude can save them."

"We could blow them up!" A woman RJ didn't know said.

"Yeah! Make them go kaboom and-" A man added.

"Explode into a billon-"

"Pretty-"

"Pieces!" They finished in unison.

"Is that Gem and Gemma?" Casey asked in confusion.

"Gem didn't make it, remember?" Fran said sadly.

"She's right… But I definitely see the resemblance," Lily added.

"Aim for the weak one!" A woman said as she seemed to make the fire stronger.

"Felina's right," Katherine said. "The girl with the glasses isn't a Power Ranger. She'll be easy to destroy."

"Over my dead body!" Lily declared, moving protectively in front of Fran.

"Touch her and I swear it will be the last thing you ever do," Dominic added.

"I love it when they talk tough!" Another woman who RJ didn't know said. Girl might have been more accurate, because she seemed a bit younger than the others.

"Help us blow them up, Zizi!" The explosion-happy woman said.

"Yeah, please help!" The man added.

"Those two are idiots," Casey said. "The witch with the fire is probably in charge, and Katherine's up there, too… The other girl seems like she's just following instructions."

"Casey, focus on the witch," RJ said. "Lily, stay close to Fran and make sure the explosion twins don't get too close. Dom, handle the other girl… And I'll focus on Katherine." He knew Katherine had been killing Power Rangers like it was her favorite past time. He refused to risk anyone else being the one to go after her.

They each took on their assignments. At first, it was going well. Dominic was doing a great job taking on the girl they'd called Zizi with hand-to-hand combat. She was a strong warrior, but Dominic was holding his own really well. He managed to block a lot of her attacks, even if he couldn't knock her down.

Lily was using everything she had to hold off the twins. They might not be very bright, but they were good at what they did, and Lily had to work hard to keep them from hurting anyone. Her natural speed and agility were especially helpful as she deflected attacks and explosives and managed to make sure no one got anywhere near Fran.

Casey was doing incredibly well against the witch Katherine had called Felina. She clearly had some powerful magic behind her, but Casey didn't seem particularly bothered by that as he used his own powers against her. He might not be as strong as this witch was, but he wasn't going down easily.

RJ managed to get through an army of monsters to attack Katherine. She pulled out a sword and began to fight him for a minute. Then, she called more monsters to her. She had RJ surrounded quickly. As he struggled to battle the creatures who were appearing quicker than he could keep track of, Katherine began to make her way toward the girls.

"Lily! Watch out!" RJ shouted.

RJ tried to get to them, but he couldn't. Suddenly, an especially large monster with a head ironically shaped like a heart grabbed him and refused to let him go. It squeezed RJ until his chest felt like it was going to explode.

"RJ!" Lily screamed. She'd managed to keep Katherine at bay, but now she was trying to reach him. It was impossible. There were too many monsters.

"Shit! I've got you, RJ!" Dominic cried out. He raced toward him, ready to save him.

"Guys! I'm trapped!" Casey cried out. RJ managed to look toward him and realized that Casey was pinned beneath part of the ceiling that must have caved in from the fire. His legs were completely trapped under the debris.

 _Too bad my insurance doesn't cover monster attacks,_ RJ thought. He was going to have to start all over… Assuming he lived that long.

"We're coming, Casey!" Lily promised. She took Fran and headed toward him, but she didn't make it far.

Katherine raised her sword, ready to take Lily's head off. "No!" Dominic screamed. He changed his course and headed toward Lily, getting between her and Katherine. He knocked Lily and Fran back toward a safer part of the restaurant and managed to push Katherine away from him. It seemed, for a moment, like things were going to work out okay. Then, they went horribly wrong.

Fran and Lily were now on the left side of the restaurant, seemingly safe and closer to RJ and Casey. Casey was still trapped. RJ was positive his heart was going to explode as the monster continued to squeeze him. Dominic was clearly about to try to get to RJ when the ground cracked around him. Flames burned in a circle, surrounding him as Katherine laughed.

"So much for your heroic rescue," she taunted him.

Dominic looked at RJ with an apologetic expression on his face. RJ realized Katherine had lured him into that spot. It was clear from his face that Dominic also knew he'd walked right into a trap. He turned his face toward Fran and managed to get out, "I love you." That was when the entire right side of the restaurant collapsed on top of him.

"Dom! _Dominic_!" RJ screamed in horror.

Fran wasn't screaming. RJ knew that wasn't a good sign. He looked toward her and realized she'd collapsed, probably from shock and grief. Lily used her body to shield Fran from the flames as they got closer to them.

With an unexpected, swift kick, Zizi knocked Lily unconscious. RJ struggled to try to escape from the monster attacking him, but he couldn't do it. He was forced to watch helplessly as Zizi and the twins dragged Lily away.

"Wait," Katherine said. "This one is intelligent. She may be useful as well. We should bring her to my father."

"Very well," Felina agreed. "Take the girl and go."

Katherine did exactly that, scooping Fran up in her arms. If RJ had any air left in his lungs, he'd have screamed. Instead, he felt himself blacking out. "Release him and leave him here," Felina instructed the monster. "He won't last long, and the Red Ranger will perish as well." Before RJ could tell if the monster listened, he lost his battle and blacked out completely.

 _ **KRIS**_

He was pretty surprised to see Jungle Karma Pizza on fire. It seemed odd that there were no fire trucks. It almost seemed like there was an invisible barrier around the place.

"Damnit," Kris mumbled. "They had the best pizza, too…" He hoped everyone had made it out alive. As Kris inched closer, he sensed something he couldn't quite explain.

He spotted something out of the corner of his eye. "What's that?" he wondered aloud. He picked up the glowing blue crystal that sat outside of the ruins of the old pizza shop and frowned. "Well, I've always trusted my instincts… Why stop now?" He shrugged and put the crystal in his messenger bag. Then, he followed a new instinct that told him to try to dig through a building that had mostly collapsed and was still on fire.

The flames seemed to die down as he got closer to them. Kris slowly began moving things aside, not sure what it was he was feeling. He kept moving things until he found a man in the rubble.

"That's the owner of this place," he realized with horror. He quickly moved more debris and freed him before checking for a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. "Oh shit… He's alive! Thank God…"

The man slowly opened his eyes. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a cough. "Don't try to talk," Kris said soothingly. "Just work on breathing."

The owner motioned toward his side. Somehow, Kris understood. There were others in the rubble. Kris began to dig again until he found another person. This one was groaning incoherently. He finally mumbled, "Lily…"

"Just hang on," Kris said. "You're going to be okay. I'm going to call 911."

"No," the owner said in a hoarse voice. "We have to…" He coughed hard, then tried again. "We have to get to Angel Grove."

"You guys need a hospital," Kris insisted.

"Dom… Where's Dom?" The second survivor asked.

The owner shook his head. "He's gone, Casey… There's no way he survived…" He started coughing again. He was also crying, but Kris was polite enough not to say anything about that.

"Lily… Fran…"

"They took them… I... I couldn't stop them…" The owner said sadly. His cough grew worse.

"Look… Um…" Kris began.

"RJ," the owner offered.

"RJ… You need medical attention. You had a building collapse on you."

"I need to get to Angel Grove. We both do. Our friends are in danger. Thank you for helping, but we'll be okay now," RJ insisted. He started to look through the rubble before trying to dig out one area in particular. Kris automatically tried to help him. Casey could barely walk, but he limped over and did his best to help, too. It was a slow process and Kris didn't know what they were looking for, but ultimately, it became clear as he moved a beam off of what turned out to be someone's unrecognizable face. This person had obviously been crushed beneath debris.

"Oh, Dom…" RJ whispered. Now he was crying openly. That didn't help his cough.

Casey looked like he might cry, too. Instead, he held himself together well enough to pull out his cell phone. He dialed a number. "Kira… It's Casey," he said. "We need… We need help." He paused. "It's bad," he added softly.

To Kris's great shock, a couple of people suddenly appeared before his eyes, seemingly out of thin air. "Holy shit…" The girl said in horror.

"We're over here, Kira," Casey called.

Kira made her way toward him. "I brought Andros, just in case it was as bad as it apparently is," she said.

"What happened here?" The guy, who Kris assumed was Andros, asked.

"Katherine… And her friends. Two of them set off a small explosion that started a fire, and then someone with magic kept it burning… We got all of the customers out safely, but… But then it got bad… And… I got pinned under debris… My legs are messed up, but I think I'll be okay. I can put a little bit of weight on them. But… They took them, Guys."

"Took who?" Kira asked gently.

"Lily and Fran," RJ said numbly. "I tried to stop them, but I was sort of under attack. They were only going to take Lily, but then Katherine told them they should take Fran, too… Lily was hurt, possibly pretty badly. She was knocked unconscious… And Fran… She fainted."

"Fainted? Why did she faint?" Andros asked. RJ sighed. He pointed toward the guy they'd uncovered. "Dominic… Oh no… I'm so sorry," Andros said.

"Damnit, Dom!" Kira cursed. She shook her head. "Goddamnit…" She said much more softly. A tear seemed to appear in the corner of her eye, but she wiped it away so quickly and subtly, Kris barely caught it.

"We have to find Lily and Fran before they kill them," RJ said.

"Right. We'll just-" Kira began. Then, she paused. "Who the hell are _you_?" She asked Kris.

"The name's Kristopher James," Kris said.

"He helped us," Casey said. "Saved us, really. He dug us both out."

"Then you're a friend," Kira said. "Thanks for helping my boys here."

"Of course."

"Did you say your last name was _James_?" RJ asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Kris asked.

"That's my last name, too… And I'm not convinced that's a coincidence. Kris… Come with us. I think we need to figure out why the Universe pushed you our way in this exact moment."

"RJ, we can't just bring him back with us," Andros protested.

Kira put up a hand to stop him. "It's okay," she said. "He's right. It can't be a coincidence… And with what we found out about Denni, I'd rather make sure we know what's going on here."

Andros nodded. "Of course, Kira. That's a good idea. Let's go, guys."

"Wait…" Casey said. "Dom… We should… I mean…"

"We'll have Alpha teleport him somewhere safe," Kira promised. "When it's time, we'll give him a proper funeral… I'm so sorry, guys… This sucks."

"Thank you," RJ said numbly. "Come on, Casey. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can figure out where Lily and Fran are. We have to protect them… Especially now. For Theo and for Dom."

Casey nodded. "We will," he vowed.

Kris had no idea what was going on. It was obvious he'd ended up in the middle of something he shouldn't have. He shrugged, deciding to go with the flow. Whatever was going on, he was involved now. There was no turning back. He stuck his hand in his bag and felt the crystal growing warmer. Somehow, Kris knew that this was fate and he was exactly where he needed to be, even if he had no idea what was happening.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

 _ **MARCO**_

He was in the woods, just taking a walk to clear his mind. A lot of Australians were afraid to walk through the woods because, as everyone liked to put it, every animal in the country was secretly plotting to kill you, but Marco found the woods comforting. He liked being surrounded by nature, and it was better than life in the Home for Boys that he had grown up in. For the most part, Marco was well-liked and he was rarely mistreated by the staff or the other boys, but that didn't mean the orphanage was a fun place to grow up. He was fourteen now and it still stung him that his parents, whoever they were, had abandoned him when he was born.

On days like today, when things at the orphanage were not so good for Marco, he escaped to nature until he felt better. He'd started doing that at just seven years old, and that was when he'd accidentally discovered his magic. Marco could affect trees, grass, and plants. It was a pretty cool superpower to have, even if he didn't understand where it had come from. He also had the ability to communicate with plants, and contrary to what people might think, they were great listeners. Maybe he was crazy, but more than once, the trees and flowers had told him things which turned out to be true.

The flowers were whispering to him now. Marco sensed their urgency and listened carefully. _There... In the bushes..._ They seemed to be saying.

Marco walked toward the bushes, hoping a bloodthirsty hell beast wasn't about to jump out and try to kill him. It wouldn't be the first time, but Marco always managed to escape, usually by using his magic to keep the wild animals back long enough for him to flee. Marco could fight pretty well, but he preferred to resolve things peacefully when he could, and he didn't want to hurt the animals.

He found no hell beast waiting for him. Instead, his eyes fell upon a glowing ball of some sort. "What is that? A crystal?" He wondered aloud. He picked it up. Suddenly, he felt something watching him. He spun around and was startled to see a large bison-like creature eating grass. It stopped and locked eyes with Marco before vanishing. To Marco's great surprise, a much smaller version of the bison appeared in the ball.

"Okay... Did I just enter the world of _Pokemon_ or something?" Marco wondered aloud.

 _Put it away! Hide it! Hurry!_ The flowers and grass and trees and bushes began frantically saying all at once. Marco could barely keep up with them as they all began to speak in a panicked frenzy. _They're coming! They're coming... The unnatural one... And the others... Hide! Run!_

Marco had no time to hide himself, but he put the bison in his pocket quickly. He was quite startled when three people appeared in front of him. He could tell from the body language of the strangers that this was not a friendly encounter.

"You're coming with us," the woman said in a menacing tone that told Marco it wasn't a request.

"By force, if necessary," the man in the front said. He pulled out a very intimidating sword.

Marco put on his brightest smile as he looked the one with the sword in the eye. "G'Day, Mate," he said. "I'm Marco. Let's talk about this, shall we?"

The sword was brought down perilously close to Marco's head. He barely rolled out of the way in time to escape. Marco quickly called vines out of the ground to grab the sword away from the man.

"Insolent child!" The man protested. "I shall _destroy_ you!"

"No!" The woman said, grabbing his arm while the silent man cast some sort of spell that created a protective barrier around Marco. "We are _not_ to kill the boy, Jaybert," the woman said firmly. "He is to be brought in unharmed."

"He is uncooperative, Alchemist," Jaybert protested.

"He is a _teenager_ and we came here making demands. Of _course_ he is uncooperative. Great Zell has ordered the boy be brought to him alive and well so he can explain to the child where he comes from."

Marco paused. "What are you going on about?" He asked.

"Young Man..."

"Marco."

" _Marco._ You are special. You have magic. We are going to bring you to someone who knows where your powers come from..."

Marco hesitated. "As much as I'd like to know that information, you guys radiate _bad guy._ I think I'm going to need to pass. Have a great day!"

"Enough," the Alchemist said. "Warlock, send him on."

Suddenly, the barrier began growing smaller. Marco couldn't see it, but he could feel the walls closing in on him. Panic began to overwhelm him... Marco was extremely claustrophobic. He was about to shut down completely when he found himself in a new, dark place. The space wasn't huge, but it was better than what he'd been stuck in before. "What the heck is happening?" He wondered aloud.

"Greetings, my boy!" A voice said from the darkness. A man slowly moved toward him, his power radiating off of him as light began to fill the room.

Marco nodded at him. "G'Day," he said again. "The name's Marco... And who might you be?"

The man seemed to appreciate the introduction more than Jaybert, the Alchemist, and the Warlock had. "I am Zell, the Great Wizard of Eltar. You may address me as Great Zell. It is excellent to meet you, Marco. I have been eager for this moment."

"You have?" Marco asked in confusion. "Why?"

"Because, my dear boy, I was there from the moment you were born. I know you are destined for great things."

"Does that mean you know who my parents are? I was raised in an orphanage... Abandoned in the woods just outside of the place. Carl, who was a brand new employee at the time, found me and brought me back there. He's been like my big brother... I'm over-sharing... Sorry."

"It's fine, my boy. And yes, I know exactly where you come from. Your father's name is Xander Bly. Like you, he has an affinity for Earth-based magic."

"Why wasn't he around?" Marco asked a bit insecurely. He'd always wondered why his parents had abandoned him.

"He had no interest in you, my boy... But _I_ do. I would very much like to help you."

Marco felt sadness at the confirmation that his father hadn't wanted him, but he kept a casual expression on his face as he asked, "And my mother?"

"You had no mother, my boy... You were born of magic." Suddenly, flames burst from the floor. "You came from these sacred, powerful flames."

Marco wanted to question this, but he couldn't. The flames felt too familiar to him... They called to him. He reached toward them without even realizing it. A bit of fire wrapped around his wrist but did not burn him. It was oddly comforting. "Incredible..." He whispered.

"Marco... Work with me, and I promise you will not regret it."

Marco couldn't explain why he found this man so hard to trust, but something told him he was a wolf in sheep's clothing. "Look, Mate, I'd love to... But I should get back home..."

"My dear boy, you _are_ home," Zell said cryptically. "You were born in this very house."

"I... I really think I should go now..."

"I think you need some time to consider your options... Serve me, as you are destined to, and be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams... Or remain in the room I am about to send you to. I am not unreasonable, Marco. I realize you need time to absorb all of this... I am merely driving my point home." He snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, Marco was in a different room... If it could even be _called_ a room. The cell was completely dark. Marco reached out to get his bearings and realized he could touch the wall. In fact, he could touch _all_ of the walls. There was barely enough room for him to sit down without hitting the crude toilet. A small sink was attached to the toilet, and it left no real room to move around.

"No... God, please don't let this be happening..." Marco whispered. He stood back up and beat his fist against the door. "Let me out!" He shouted. " _Please!"_ He beat the door for quite a while, until his knuckles were bloody. That was what made him realize that no one was coming. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he slid back down to the floor. He had to keep his knees bent just to sit down, and he buried his face against them. He couldn't breathe. The space was too small, and he knew there was no escape.

 _Join me and I shall free you, Marco,_ Zell said in his mind.

He was more terrified than he could ever remember being before, but Marco still found the strength to firmly say, "No."

 _Very well. I shall check on you again tomorrow. Perhaps a night in that cell will help you see reason._ Zell stopped speaking to him.

Marco was alone... And that was suddenly terrifying. No one knew where he was... _He_ didn't even know where he was. Taking a deep breath, Marco slipped his hand into his pocket, remembering the bison. It was still there, and it looked at him sadly as he pulled the crystal out.

"You probably think I'm pathetic... But I'm scared," Marco told the bison.

The bison gazed at him sympathetically. Marco swore it could understand him. _Help will come... Remain strong..._ The bison seemed to tell him.

A hand seemed to touch him in the darkness. Marco was confused until he heard a voice softly saying, "Never give up..."

"Who's there?" Marco asked.

"Never give up," the man said again. "You _will_ survive this... Never give up, Marco."

"Who _are_ you?" Marco asked. He no longer felt the man... He'd left as suddenly as he'd arrived. _He's a ghost..._ Marco realized. He didn't know how he knew that, but he did. The ghost was gone, but the bison was still with him. As long as he had that, he would never be alone. It was comforting to him even in his panic. Still, he knew he had to hide his new friend. He slipped it back into his pocket. He closed his eyes and tried to pretend he was in a wide open field, but that didn't work. As the claustrophobia became overwhelming, Marco struggled to think of anything else.

 _Never give up,_ he recited in his mind. He began to repeat the phrase, trying to draw strength in the mantra. _You're going to get out of here. You're going to be okay. Just breathe... Don't give up..._ Never _give up..._ He kept reciting it until he eventually blacked out from sheer exhaustion.

 _ **MADDIE**_

She was sitting on a hill beneath a tree. The shadows beside her provided a nice cover as she examined the mysterious glowing ball she'd found. "I think it's some sort of crystal," she said aloud. It seemed to be tinged pink.

Suddenly, someone appeared beside her in the shadows. Maddie expected to see Ollie, but her brother was not the one who had arrived. She immediately hid the crystal and got on her feet, ready to kick the stranger's ass if necessary. Power Ranger or not, Maddie was a champion Martial Artist.

"Ugh! Not again…" The girl mumbled.

Maddie quickly decided the girl wasn't a threat. "Um… Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah… I guess. Sorry. I can't control this stupid power…"

"Let's start over… I'm Maddie. Who are you?"

"Denni. Wait, Maddie?" She looked at her more closely. "You're the other one I needed to find."

Maddie tilted her head in confusion. "Come again, Denni?"

"First of all… After talking to my father, I know you're my cousin, so let's start there."

"Cousin?"

"My father is Conner McKnight, who just found out he's my father and also just found out he's Jason's brother."

"Jeez, Dad doesn't tell me _anything,"_ Maddie mumbled. "Okay, cool. Well, cousin, it's nice to meet you. So that explains the shadow travel. It's a Scott trait."

"It's a pain in my ass."

Maddie laughed, remembering her own experiences with trying to learn to control it. Of course, that was back when she'd still had powers… More powers than she ever should have. She missed the Scott powers, though. They'd been a big part of her, unlike some of the other Chosen abilities she'd had to give up in order to protect them. "Yeah, it can be tough at first. I never fully got the hang of it, but I got better at it before I lost the power."

"Merrick mentioned what happened to you."

"Wait, you know Merrick? As in the Wild Force Power Ranger?"

"Yep. Maddie… Did you find a crystal recently?"

Maddie hesitated. This girl was a stranger. She could be lying… But her instincts told her to trust her. "Yes," she admitted. She pulled it out of her pocket. "Do you know what it is?"

"It's a Wild Force crystal. Specifically, it's the White Tiger crystal."

Maddie's eyes went wide. "I thought the crystals went missing when the team died… I'd never seen them for myself, so I didn't recognize it. Merrick should have this… He's the only one left."

"The crystals found new guardians, Maddie… Their previous guardians helped guide them to people… And Alyssa chose _you._ "

Maddie blinked at her. "Me?" She repeated. "But… But I gave up my powers… I can't be a Power Ranger anymore because what makes me, well, _me_ was fundamentally changed when Liza removed the powers from me."

"You can't be the Yellow Mighty Morphin Legacy Power Ranger anymore, Maddie… But who says you can't become the White Wild Force Power Ranger now?"

Maddie's eyes went wide. "I… I thought that I wasn't worthy anymore…" Slowly, a smile crept across her face. "This is _awesome_ … I'm a Power Ranger again!"

Denni smiled back at her. "It looks that way. Look, Maddie… Merrick and Princess Shayla don't think Zell knows about the team coming back… We're like a secret weapon right now, so you can't tell anyone about this… Lido knows, but only because he saved me from Zell and explained what the crystal was to me. I'm trying to find the rest of our team… B'Danna is part of it."

"B'Danna the Rebel?"

"Yeah… She has the Yellow crystal."

Maddie paused thoughtfully. "Taylor's crystal… She died saving me and my mother. If Taylor thinks B'Danna is worthy, I am one hundred percent behind that decision."

"She's reluctant, but she's going to work with us… Once I know what we're doing, anyway. Right now, I'm sort of winging it."

"Winging it works great for some people." Maddie smiled at her encouragingly. "Here… This is my number." She wrote it down and gave it to her. "Call me anytime you need me, or even just to talk, seeing as how we're cousins. I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Maddie. I appreciate that."

Maddie nodded. "No problem. So, want to meet Ollie? He can help you with the shadow travel. That kid was my saving grace when I was trying to learn to control it."

"I'd appreciate that. I keep hearing about him, but we haven't met yet."

Maddie grinned. "I'll call him now." She picked up her phone and dialed.

"What's up, Maddie?" Ollie answered.

"Hey, Twerp," she teased him. Considering Ollie filled out more every day and was very muscular, it wasn't a legitimate insult, but it still bugged him. He growled slightly, causing Maddie to laugh. "We have another long-lost relative."

"What? I swear to _God_ , if Dad has _another_ kid-"

"Relax, Ol," Maddie said with a laugh. "She's a cousin. Apparently, Dad didn't know he's got a brother… Actually, two, right? Because Conner's got a twin if I remember right."

"Wait, _Conner?"_

"Apparently. Anyway, she just arrived next to me… Via shadow…"

"Damnit. Let me guess. She has no idea how to control it?"

"Not really. Come play teacher?"

"I'll be right there."

A minute later, Ollie emerged from the shadows. Maddie gave him a quick hug before saying, "Ollie, this is Denni. Denni, Ollie."

"Hey," Ollie said.

"Hi," Denni replied. "Nice to meet you."

"So… Shadow Travel One-Oh-One… Where to start?" Ollie asked.

"Don't touch any shadows unless you're prepared to go somewhere else?" Maddie suggested.

"Yeah, _you_ learned that the _hard_ way," Ollie said with a smirk.

"Bite me." She stuck her tongue out at him.

Ollie began explaining some of his techniques for controlling the family gift. Maddie might have been sad at no longer being able to participate in the training session, but the crystal in her pocket took away the ache that void in her heart had been causing.

 _I'm back,_ she thought with a smile. Finally, for the first time in much longer than she liked to admit, Maddie felt like herself again.

 _ **ZELL**_

He had gathered his Rangers of the Flame in one room. In addition to Sydney and Maya, he had turned Damon and Hunter. Damon, like his Lost Galaxy teammate Maya, had sat the last battle out. He'd been an easy target to capture and toss into the Flames. Interestingly, while he had once been a Green Ranger, his Ranger of the Flame suit was Black. Zell supposed that was because the next one he intended to turn was meant to be his evil Green Ranger.

Hunter had been slightly more difficult. Unlike Damon, Hunter had fought with honor in the last battle. The Crimson Ninja had been on a mission, deep undercover, when Zell sent Katherine to capture him. She'd actually been successful. Zell was pleased. Hunter had fought when he'd regained consciousness, but he was still too injured to prevent Zell from throwing him into the flames. His Crimson Ranger of the Flame had proven to be one of the fiercest in their training sessions, and Zell knew he'd made a good choice in turning him.

Now, Zizi arrived with the newest recruit. "You have done well, Zizanyah," Zell said with approval as he looked at the unconscious Power Ranger before him.

"It was the team from Amber Beach. It seemed only right that I be the one to capture him," Zizi replied.

"I think I shall send you for another soon... But for now, rest. You have earned it."

"Of course, Great Zell." She bowed her head respectfully before leaving the room.

"Wake up, my boy..." Zell said to his new recruit. Riley, the Green Dino Charge Ranger, began to stir.

"I... Where am I?" He mumbled.

"Welcome, my dear boy, to the Alliance," Zell said grandly.

Riley tried to sit up and realized his hands were bound to his feet. "Oh God..." He whispered, staring at Zell.

"Join my Rangers, Riley. It is an honor."

"Never!" Riley declared defiantly.

"Never? I doubt that." Zell smiled at him.

"I'm not evil, and I refuse to give in to you," Riley insisted.

Zell called forth the flames. When he tried to get closer to Riley, the boy had the nerve to spit at him. Zell jumped back in disgust.

"Great Zell! Shall I kill him for that?" Syd asked, already moving toward Riley, ready to attack him.

Suddenly, Hunter sprang into action. "Not _today,_ assholes!" He declared. He moved to unbind Riley. "Get up. Hurry!" Hunter said urgently.

"Hunter? What are you doing here? Never mind... Thanks for the help," Riley said as he got to his feet. Relief filled his face.

"Anytime," Hunter said with a grin. Then, without warning, he shoved Riley into the flames.

Riley let out a scream as his light began to be ripped away from him. He stared at Hunter, a look of confusion and hurt on his face. He said nothing as the pain of losing everything that made him good overwhelmed him. Finally, when the flames vanished, he emerged with a blank expression on his face.

"Welcome, my boy, to the Rangers of the Flame," Zell said. Then, he slapped Riley hard, his hand leaving an imprint on his face. " _Never_ disrespect me again," he said sharply.

"Yes, my master," Riley said tonelessly.

"Good. Sydney, escort him to his quarters."

"Of course, Great Zell," Sydney said. She guided Riley away.

"You are growing in numbers, my Rangers," Zell told the three who remained. "Soon, an attack will be warranted. For now, continue your training. Maya, Damon, work together. Your powers compliment each other well."

"Yes, Great Zell," Maya replied.

"With pleasure, Great Zell," Damon added. They walked away.

"Hunter... That was very clever of you," Zell said to the last remaining Ranger. "I am quite proud, my boy."

"Thank you, Great Zell," Hunter replied. "Riley and I met when I was weakened by Good. I knew he would trust me."

"Indeed... And your cleverness and loyalty shall be rewarded. I value your contribution here."

"The only reward I desire is power."

"A boy after my own heart. Yes, Hunter... I shall give you more power than you ever dreamed possible so long as you stick by my side."

"Always and with honor, Great Zell." Hunter bowed to him.

"Very well. Go on now. I shall call for you soon."

Hunter obediently left. Zell smiled to himself. He had turned one of Sir Ivan's beloved teammates and he had plans for the others as well. Soon, the Knight would destroy himself trying to save them, and he would no longer be in the way of Zell getting to Daphne.

 _She shall return to me,_ he vowed. _They_ all _shall._

 _ **LILY**_

She woke up with the headache from hell. At first, she couldn't remember what had happened. Then it all came rushing back to her. She looked around for any sign of her friends.

 _Dom's dead..._ She remembered. She couldn't dwell on that. She had to protect the others. She could grieve later. Where _was_ she?

"Dom..." A voice whimpered. The sound of someone crying followed.

"Fran?" Lily asked. "Fran, where are you?"

"Dom... He..." Fran tried to say.

Lily followed the sound. Soon, she found Fran not too far away from her in the darkness. A little bit of light made its way into the cell as she did. The cell had bars on it, but at least it wasn't too small. There was enough room to pace around if being trapped started driving them mad. There was a small area behind a partition. Lily peaked behind it and saw a toilet and a stand-up shower. She was surprised their captors would grant them even that much privacy. She quickly turned on the water to wash some of the blood from her head and clear her mind before turning it off and returning to Fran.

"Dom's... Dom is..." Fran whimpered again.

"Fran, honey, you're in shock," Lily said gently. "Listen to me... You're safe with me. I won't let them hurt you anymore."

"He's... He..."

"I know... I'm _so_ sorry, Fran. I know exactly how this feels, and I am _so_ sorry."

Fran looked into Lily's eyes then and whispered, "He's dead... I lost him... He's gone." She started crying, burying her face in Lily's shoulder while Lily soothingly stroked her hair. Not too long ago, she'd lost her husband. They'd left their honeymoon to help the rest of the Power Rangers. Theo had promised they'd finish it after the battle was over, but he hadn't lived long enough to keep that promise. Lily had lost _everything_ that day. She'd offered to blow up the Machine Empire, who would kill everyone if they escaped the room they were all in. She knew it meant staying behind to detonate one of Divatox's explosives, but Theo was too wounded to survive anyway. He couldn't be moved. Lily didn't mind dying to save everyone, especially if it meant she would be with her husband. She made peace with her decision, but Theo had shoved her out of the room at the last second before blowing the device himself. The last thing he'd asked her to do for him was to _live._ Because of that, Lily had tried, but it hadn't been easy. A part of her heart had died that day, and she'd never get it back.

Lily knew Fran was in no shape to fight. She wasn't much for physical violence in general, and right now, she was too broken to even try. Lily would have to protect her until they could both escape. She'd keep herself focused and figure out a way to get them both out of there alive... And pray that when she did, Casey and RJ would be waiting for them, safe and sound.

 _ **RJ**_

He frowned as Kris confirmed what he'd already suspected. "We have the same father," he explained after Kris offered up his father's name. "He just didn't bother to mention it."

"Wait... You're _Robert_?" Kris asked in surprise.

RJ frowned. "Okay, so he never mentioned it to _me._ But yes, Kris. RJ is short for Robert James."

"I'm really sorry about Jungle Karma Pizza, RJ... It was a great place."

"We'll rebuild... As soon as we get our friends back." He couldn't think about Dominic. They'd been so close, and now he was gone... RJ couldn't even begin to process that, especially not while there was still hope of saving Lily and Fran. He _refused_ to lose them, too.

"Right... So... We're brothers. Cool."

RJ nodded. "I guess so, Kid... How old are you, anyway?"

"Seventeen... And already a _Pai Zhuq_ Master, so don't call me kid, okay?"

"You're a lot younger than I am... _Kid."_ RJ smirked at him. His little brother rolled his eyes in true teenager form. "Let me guess... Your spirit animal is the shark."

"Of _course_ it is. My... _Our_ father was very eager to teach me the ways of the shark spirit."

"So _that's_ why he had another kid," RJ mumbled. Unlike his father, RJ worked with the wolf spirit. It was often a major point of contention between them. "Whatever. We don't talk much. I hear from him in emergencies. That's about it."

Kris dropped some of the wall that had gone up between them. "Dad's intense, RJ... But he loves you. He just sucks at showing it, but when he talks about you, I can tell." He paused. "It's nice to meet you."

RJ nodded. "Yeah, Kid... It's nice to meet you, too." He patted Kris on the shoulder, not to be condescending but to be supportive. RJ knew his dad wasn't an easy man to grow up with at times. He might be a true force of Good, but he sucked at parenting and accepting his offspring for who they were.

"I'd like to help you get your friends back."

"I appreciate that, but Zell's no joke. _Pai Zhug_ Master or not, he'd slaughter you."

"Wow, way to have confidence in me," Kris said with a laugh.

"It's not _you,_ Kris... It's _all_ of us. That bastard is a homicidal maniac from another planet who has endless tricks, resources, and disposable minions in his arsenal."

"Does that mean you're _not_ going after him?"

"I didn't say that... But we need a plan. A _smart_ plan."

Suddenly, something popped out of Kris's pocket. The glowing blue crystal began to roll away from them. "Crap!" Kris cried out. He ran toward it.

"What the hell?" RJ mumbled. He followed his little brother and saw that the crystal was much more than he'd originally thought. RJ paled, feeling deeply haunted as he recognized it. "Kris... _Where_ did you get that?" He demanded.

"I found it outside of the restaurant, actually," Kris replied. "I nearly forgot about it with everything else that's going on."

RJ shook his head. "That's impossible... The last time I saw it was when..."

"When what?"

"When our friend Max died. They found him with Alyssa... They were clinging to each other when the explosion went off... There wasn't much left of them to identify them, but Max had _this_ in his hand... I assumed they returned it to Merrick afterward, but..."

"Who's Merrick?"

"The only member of the Wild Force team who didn't die in the last big battle... Literally, the entire core team was wiped out. It was horrible."

"I don't understand... If your friend died, how did this find its way to Jungle Karma Pizza?"

"The crystals are connected to Zords... They choose their guardians. Max's was the Shark... Which means it would actually make a lot of sense for it to choose you... And if _one_ Ranger has been replaced... The others must be coming back as well!"

"Are you saying I'm a Power Ranger now?"

"Yeah, Kid, I think you are... Wild Force... Goddamn... This is incredible!" RJ laughed, suspecting Zell wouldn't see _this_ coming.

The crystal began moving again. "What is it doing?" Kris asked.

"My guess is that it's trying to lead you somewhere."

"What should I do?"

"Uh... _Follow_ it?" RJ suggested sarcastically. "This is your moment, Kid."

"But... This isn't my destiny," Kris argued. "Dad won't like it-"

"Kris... Take it from your big brother. Your destiny is just that... _Yours._ Dad doesn't get a say. No one does except for you... There's a _new_ destiny calling. It's your choice whether or not you answer that call... So what's it going to be?"

Kris hesitated for a moment. Then, he looked at the crystal and nodded solemnly as he said, "I'm in."

RJ offered him an encouraging smile. "Good choice," he said with a nod of approval. "Go on. Destiny waits for no one. I'll see you later."

Kris followed his crystal and RJ had to admit, he was proud of the kid. _Maybe we're not so different,_ he thought.

 _ **DENNI**_

She was surprised when her crystal began to float, but Denni followed it. She quickly found three others who arrived at the destination at the same time. B'Danna and Maddie were there, but so was someone she hadn't met. As their crystals floated into their hands, Denni realized his was blue.

"You have one, too," she said. "I'm Denni, and that's B'Danna and Maddie... What's your name?"

"Kris," he provided. "I know what this is, sort of... My brother recognized it. But why did it bring me here?"

"Who's your brother?" Denni asked. "We need to be extremely careful who finds out about us. We're not even supposed to tell the other Power Rangers."

"His name is RJ."

"RJ? I didn't know he had a brother!" Maddie said in surprise.

"Neither did _he,_ until today."

"Can he be trusted?" Denni asked.

"RJ's the mentor for Jungle Fury. Mentors are wise. He'll understand why this needs to be kept a secret," Maddie vouched for him.

"Well, I've been looking for the other team members... I'd only found the girls and Merrick," Denni said. "I guess that's why the crystals brought us here."

"My brother mentioned Merrick," Kris said.

"He's on the Animarium... But there should still be one more of us here..."

"Black," Maddie provided. "Danny's crystal... If I remember right, he had the Bison."

"I wonder why he's not here..."

Suddenly, the four of them were transported to the Animarium. Denni and Maddie kept their footing easily. B'Danna nearly stumbled and drew her weapon like she assumed they were under attack. Kris fell flat on his butt.

"Okay, I'm getting used to traveling by shadow, so I know why I'm on my feet, but how'd you manage not to stumble, Maddie?" Denni asked.

"Teleporting is like riding a bike," Maddie said with a grin. "It's been a while, but it's still second nature to me."

"How the _hell_ did we just do that?" Kris demanded.

"Someone brought us here," B'Danna said, gripping her sword and ready to slaughter anyone even remotely suspicious.

"B'Danna, put the sword away," Denni said. "I'm sure it was Merrick or Princess Shayla."

"Until I know who is responsible for that, I prefer to keep the blade drawn," B'Danna said firmly.

"Greetings, Rangers!" Shayla said pleasantly.

B'Danna had her sword inches from Shayla's throat in a heartbeat. "Bea, _no!"_ Denni said quickly. "That's the Princess!"

"Oh, my..." Princess Shayla said as she eyed the blade. "What excellent reflexes you have." She smiled nervously as B'Danna withdrew her weapon.

"Sorry," B'Danna mumbled.

"What do you think you are _doing?"_ Merrick demanded as he arrived, drawing his own weapon.

"Be calm, Merrick," Shayla said as she gently touched his arm. "It was simply a misunderstanding."

B'Danna stared at Merrick with hostility and mistrust in her eyes. She looked like she might attack him because she viewed him as a threat. "Merrick's on our side, B'Danna," Denni reminded her gently.

"He radiates darkness and evil," B'Danna said. "The wolf is trying to deceive us."

Merrick paused. "You are the Eltarian," he realized. He took a deep breath and put his sword away. "The wolf energy is indeed my own... The evil darkness you sense is Zen-Aku. We are linked for eternity, and for a very long time, we were merged as one. I promise you, my loyalty is not to evil."

"I have met many warriors who claimed the same before you," B'Danna said skeptically.

"B'Danna... You can trust Merrick," Maddie said. "He helped us in the last big battle... He's a good man."

B'Danna finally seemed to accept that. "My apologies. I am a warrior, and I was trained not to trust easily," she said.

"It's quite alright, B'Danna," Shayla said with a warm smile. "Now… Where was I? Oh, of course! Welcome, Rangers, to the Animarium!"

Kris stared around in wonder. "It's beautiful…" He said softly. Suddenly, the Shark Zord appeared in the water nearby. In an instant, it was gone, and it appeared in the crystal in his hand. "Whoa!"

Maddie made a similar sound as the Wild Force White Tiger Zord ran by them. Suddenly, it appeared in her crystal as well. "Amazing!" She said with excitement.

Shayla smiled encouragingly. "You may call on your Zords in your time of need," Shayla explained. Then, she passed the new team what appeared to be daggers with suns on them. Denni realized her crystal fit inside of the dagger perfectly. The others followed her lead. Denni could actually feel the power surrounding them.

"Now, your morphers," Shayla continued. She handed them each what appeared to be a flip phone from the early 2000s.

"Seriously? Do these even _work_?" Denni asked.

"There is great power in this device," B'Danna said as she studied it.

"I feel it, too," Kris admitted.

Maddie was silent as she held the morpher in her hands. "Maddie? Are you okay?" Denni asked.

Maddie nodded slowly before looking at Shayla. "Thank you," she said softly.

"Alyssa and the White Tiger chose you for a reason, Maddie," Shayla promised her. "You proved to be worthy under unthinkable conditions. You are a true warrior and are a Power Ranger through and through. You do not need to thank me."

"Thank you anyway," Maddie said. Denni noticed she had a tear in the corner of her eye. She hugged Shayla, who seemed to appreciate the gesture as she held Maddie almost maternally.

Merrick frowned. "What's wrong, Merrick?" Denni asked.

"Where is the last one?" He asked. "The Bison…"

"We were wondering that, too."

Shayla looked mildly concerned herself. "My spell to bring you all together should have brought him to you… Unless it couldn't reach the Bison…" She frowned. "Let me try again," she said after a moment, the smile returning to her face. She began casting some sort of spell over the fountain.

A bubble floated up like it had with Maddie and B'Danna, but this one was blurry. "Hmmm… How odd. I cannot see the image clearly," Shayla said.

Denni felt drawn to the bubble. She touched her hand to it, half expecting it to pop. Instead, it snapped into focus. They could see a boy sitting in the darkness in some sort of cell. "Is he in prison?" Kris asked.

"No… This is far worse than that," Shayla said cryptically. "Oh my… This is not good… Not at all…"

"Princess, where is this place?" Merrick asked.

"I believe it is in the building that the Great Wizard of Eltar is using as his base," Shayla admitted.

Denni was horrified. "Zell has him? We have to help him," she said.

"We cannot," Shayla replied. "He cannot know of the team, Denni. You know that."

"But… He needs us," Denni insisted. "Look at him… He looks even younger than me."

"He is fourteen years old… And the poor boy really dislikes small spaces, which it seems the Great Wizard has figured out…" Shayla sighed.

Denni watched as the last Ranger on her team appeared to be muttering to himself. Tears were in his eyes. She shook her head. "Princess Shayla, with all due respect, we can't just leave him there."

"We have no choice. I'm sorry, Denni. I absolutely must forbid it. It's too risky. When the time comes, the boy will find his way to us. We can only hope no serious harm comes to him before then."

"I can shadow travel and get him out… I'm getting better at it. My cousin gave me a crash course earlier."

"I'm putting my foot down, Denni. We must find another way." Princess Shayla looked toward the sky and added, "The Bison will protect him… Excuse me for a moment." She walked away to tend to a Zord that looked like a deer. Merrick followed her.

"This is bullshit… He needs help," Denni said.

"The Princess is in charge of the team, correct?" B'Danna asked.

"She's our mentor, yes," Denni replied.

"We have to respect the Chain of Command, Denni. She gave us a very clear order."

"She seems to know what she's talking about," Kris agreed. "But, at the same time, I feel bad for him…"

"Maddie… What's your vote?" Denni asked.

Maddie frowned. "Look, I want to help the kid, too… But Princess Shayla's right. If we run in there, Zell's going to know about this team, and we can't risk that. We need to find a middle ground."

"I can do it. If I shadow travel, he'll never even know I was there."

"He'll know," Maddie said. "But at least he'd only know _you_ went… He wouldn't know about the team. Maybe we _should_ let you do this."

"Not alone," Merrick said as he returned. "Zell already had his hands on you, Denni. We cannot risk that happening again."

"Merrick-" Denni protested.

"Absolutely not. You promised you wouldn't go getting yourself killed."

"I'm immortal, Merrick."

"Even immortals can die, Denni. Please… Just wait this out until we find another way."

She sighed. "Fine… For now," she agreed. Denni had no intention of waiting long. She felt a connection to this kid. She had to help him. Besides, it was cruel to leave him there when he was clearly terrified. She'd find a way to track him down on her own and she'd get him out, with or without help. Her mind was made up.

 _ **BRIDGE**_

He'd been a wreck since finding out that Syd… Shiny, happy, bubbly, Pink Syd… had been turned into an evil psycho killer. That was why, when he heard what Sage was planning, he insisted on being present. Sage hadn't loved the idea, but she respected him enough to let him go.

Bridge hadn't been sure that Syd would even fall for the bait. Sure, _his_ Syd had been obsessed with shopping and manicures and things like that, but would evil Syd be the same? He was about to find out.

For the task of luring Syd into the trap, Sage had tapped Mia and Emily. The two Samurai might be fierce warriors, but they loved shopping as much as Syd did. They were loudly walking through town talking about the most _amazing_ sale _ever._

"I can't believe these deals!" Mia said.

"Look how cheap these shoes are! They're usually five times that much!" Emily chimed in.

"Amazing! And those cute tops we were looking at last week are two for the price of one!"

"I _love_ a good BOGO sale!"

"And, look, Em! We can get our nails done at the salon right across the street afterward! They've got a major discount event going on!"

"Free pedicure with a manicure? Oh my gosh, Mia! That's incredible!"

"And they do the _best_ work there!"

Suddenly, to Bridge's surprise, Syd actually appeared, almost as if the talk of these incredible sales had summoned her out of thin air. "Where?" She demanded.

"The mall, right over there," Mia said, pointing.

"You can't miss these deals!" Emily added.

"Thanks for the tip, Losers," Syd said. She smiled at them, although it didn't touch her eyes. She still looked pretty happy as she headed toward the mall.

"Come on," Jayden said, emerging from where he'd been lurking and grabbing Mia and Emily. "Sage said to keep you guys out of the line of fire." He ushered them away.

Bridge followed Syd from a distance until she got close to the mall. Suddenly, she spun around. "Don't you have some _buttery toast_ to eat or something?" She demanded, rolling her eyes at the sight of him.

"Sounds good. Maybe later," Bridge replied.

"Go _away,_ Bridge. I'm _busy."_

"Syd…"

"Oh, fuck it. I'll kill you and _then_ I'll go shopping." She stunned him by lunging at him, manifesting a weapon out of nowhere and shoving it straight through his chest.

"Bridge!" Sage shouted, getting there a split second too late.

"Ugh. Not _you,"_ Syd said. "Can't a girl shop in peace?"

Sage looked at Bridge and seemed to realize how badly he was hurt. Bridge couldn't feel any pain and his vision was starting to blur. This wasn't good and he knew it. Sage knelt beside him, blasting Syd away from them with an impressive burst of power. She quickly began trying to heal Bridge.

"I told you to keep your distance," she said softly. He could tell how worried about him she actually was.

"Sorry. She felt me," Bridge apologized. He began coughing.

"Oh God… Just hold on, Bridge," Sage said soothingly. "I'll heal you."

"No… Get… Get Syd… First…" he managed to say.

"You're coughing up blood. You need my help more. Besides… We've got back-up." She smiled mysteriously.

Bridge was about to ask what she meant when he heard someone say, "Watch out!"

"Jack?" Bridge asked in confusion. As the sword came toward Bridge and Sage, she covered Bridge with her body. Jack got between them, turning intangible so the blade didn't touch him. It threw Syd off enough that she backed up for a second.

"You're using your powers? Fine! Two can play that game!" Syd said. "Fist of Iron!" She shouted.

"Not so fast!" Another voice said. An invisible force seemed to stop Syd from being able to move her fist.

"Shields? Seriously? Ugh!" Syd protested. She tried to flee.

"Shields… Sky?" Bridge asked.

"Nice try," a final voice said. Even with his blurry vision, Bridge realized that Syd was surrounded.

"Goddamnit, _one_ of you is too many, and now there's, like, twenty! No fair!" Syd shouted.

"Z…" Bridge realized. Suddenly, he was smiling.

"We're here, Buddy," Jack said soothingly. "Just hold on."

"Who wants to do the honors?" Sky asked.

"Oh, _I've_ got this," Z said. "SPD, Emergency!"

Syd let out a screech of protest before she was captured by the SPD containment unit. "Get it to Sage," Sky said.

Z pulled her selves together into one body before walking over to Bridge and Sage. "Thanks for calling us in, Sage… Looks like we got here just in time," Z said.

"How are you holding up, Bridge?" Sky asked.

"I think I'm okay," Bridge said. "Nothing some _buttery toast_ won't fix." He smiled weakly.

"He lost a lot of blood, but I was able to heal him," Sage said. "You're going to be fine, Bridge."

"Thanks, Sage… I'm sorry you had to save me."

"It's okay… I'm just glad you're okay. You're part of my dad's team. He'd lose it if we lost you, and I happen to like you, too." She flashed him a kind smile. "But next time, when I suggest you sit a fight out, please do it."

He nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry. Forgive me?"

"Since you didn't die, sure. You get one pass." She took the device containing Syd from Z. "Alright… I'm going to get this somewhere safe and rest for a little bit. Once my energy's where it needs to be, I'll start working on fixing her."

"Do you know how to let her out?" Sky asked.

"I can figure it out."

"If you need any help fixing her… Well, we're here, Sage. Syd's one of ours. We'll do anything we can to make sure she comes back from this," Jack said.

"Thanks, guys. I've got it… But afterward, Syd's probably going to be pretty messed up in the head. She'll need you."

"We'll be there," Z vowed.

"Absolutely," Bridge agreed.

Sage nodded. "Bridge, go get some rest. Do you guys mind bringing him back to the Command Center? I asked Kira to set up housing for you guys. Zordon can call her in and she can tell you where to go."

"Sure," Jack said. "Come on, Guys. Let's get out of here."

Bridge followed his team, beyond grateful to see them. When they were pretty far away from Sage, his knees gave out as his emotions overwhelmed him. "Bridge!" Z said in alarm as Jack steadied him.

"I thought we were going to lose her," Bridge said softly.

"She's okay, Bridge. Sage will fix her," Jack said.

"I know… But… She tried to kill me… _Syd_ tried to kill me, and I can't wrap my head around that."

"That wasn't Syd," Sky said firmly. "She's just a shell of who she was."

"But she's still in there… She fell for a trap because Mia and Emily were going on about sales and manicures and shoes… She's still Syd. And I was so scared that she wasn't."

Z hugged him tightly. "She's in there, Bridge… And Sage is going to bring her back to us."

He nodded. "I'm okay," he promised. "I think it just finally sank in… I've been dealing with this on my own and it's just been… Tough."

"You're not alone anymore, Man," Jack promised. "We've got your back."

Bridge nodded, finally calming down. They had Syd captured. That was the first step. She'd be okay. She _had_ to be.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **TIA**_

She was new to doing group projects. It was always awkward for Tia, who still had issues dealing with people in general. Thankfully, Brian was in this history class with her, and he'd immediately insisted on being in the same group as her. They had one other partner, a girl named Patti who seemed nice enough.

"So… The Salem Witch Trials," Brian said with a grin. "Great subject! Lots of drama! And a fantastic play entitled _The Crucible_ that's more about McCarthyism in America than witchcraft."

"You're familiar with this?" Tia asked.

"It's a classic," he replied.

"I think the Witch Trials were a fascinating period in American history," Patti said. "Sorry. That sounded less nerdy in my head." She flashed them both an awkward smile.

"It's cool. I'm a _major_ nerd," Brian said. "Not Tia, though. She's the epitome of cool."

"Hardly," Tia said dryly, but it still made her smile slightly.

"I'm socially awkward. I blame it on skipping two years of school as a kid," Patti said.

"Wow! You must be really smart," Brian said.

Patti didn't get the chance to reply as a fire suddenly broke out in the classroom. This made no sense, and it sent everyone into a panic. "Fire!" One girl screamed.

"Everyone, remain calm," the teacher said firmly. "Exit quickly." Just as he was about to reach the door, more flames appeared, blocking the way.

"Zell," Tia and Brian said in unison.

"Tia, get everyone out," Brian quickly. "I'll hold it back."

Tia didn't even hesitate. It didn't matter if there were witnesses… Everyone would die if they didn't get out of the classroom, and they were trapped. Brian used his body to block the flames, trying to keep them at bay as they sprung up in more and more locations.

"Everyone, come this way!" Tia shouted. She began to open a portal, but didn't get very far as flames sprang up at her feet. She jumped back to try to avoid them, but her pants caught on fire.

"Tia!" Brian screamed.

"I'm fine. Keep focusing!" Tia shouted back at him. She muttered a quick spell to put her pants out. Her leg hurt, but she couldn't worry about that. She had to open up a portal and get them out of there.

The ceiling suddenly caught on fire. It was becoming hard to breathe. That was when Patti screamed in terror. "Stop it!" She cried out. She began sobbing. Suddenly, a blinding light burst through the room. The flames instantly went out.

Tia and Brian exchanged a glance. The light surrounding them kept everyone in the room safe from harm as the smoke began to clear from the room. Tia looked at Patti in surprise. "Who _are_ you?" She asked sharply.

"A college sophomore!" Patti said, apparently as shocked by these events as everyone else.

"I suspect you're a lot more than that," Brian said.

Tia wrapped her hands around Galaxia's amulet and whispered one of her ancestor's spells to wipe the memory of the last five minutes from the minds of everyone in the classroom. It would kick in once they left the room.

"You are coming with us," Tia said firmly.

The terrified girl looked reluctant to agree. "I… I think I should just go home…" She mumbled.

"Patti, that was no natural fire. I think you know that," Brian said. "It's okay… We have magic, too. You saw I can control fire. Tia was trying to open a portal when you did whatever it is that you did."

"I didn't _do_ anything… I just panicked. Things like this just happen around me sometimes…"

"Wait… This has happened before?" Tia asked. She softened her tone, gently guiding Patti and Brian from the classroom as everyone recovered from their shock. She knew her spell would take care of the issue of having witnesses to all of that.

"Once," Patti admitted. "When I was twelve, I was a freshman in high school. It was, like, the third week of class and I was still pretty terrified… I was really young and the kids were so much bigger than me… But one day, this kid came in, and he had a gun… I was in the cafeteria and he started shooting… I was so scared… I panicked, and I remember hiding under the table and crying, just praying it would stop and everyone would be safe… And all of a sudden, there was this light, like what happened today. I thought I imagined it, until I saw it again today. But only two kids got shot, before the light came, and they survived… Even though the police said their injuries should have been fatal. One of them was a friend of mine. She was right next to me when she got shot, and I saw all the blood, and that's when I really freaked out and the light came."

"It seems that you create a shield when you're frightened, Patti," Tia said thoughtfully. "Possibly the strongest shield I've ever seen."

"But… I'm nobody, Tia… I'm just a seventeen-year-old girl… I have no idea what's going on."

"I'm not completely certain either… But we will figure it out together. Brian and I know some people who may be able to assist with that. Come with us, Patti. You'll be safe with us." To show Patti that she was, in fact, not alone in having powers, Tia opened up a portal.

"It's safe," Brian promised. "And kind of fun. Come on." He stepped into the portal, then extended his hand toward Patti.

Patti cautiously took Brian's hand. He pulled her through the portal. Tia stepped through right behind them and they were suddenly in the Grant house. "Tia, Brian… Welcome," Caius said, not looking surprised. "I'm pleased to see you made it here safely."

"You had a vision?" Brian guessed.

"I did. And you must be Patti, correct? I'm Caius. Don't worry, Patti, You're safe here. This is my house."

Patti nodded. "Okay… Thank you," she said nervously.

"Caius, what is going on?" Tia asked.

"Zell set the fire, but you already figured that out," Caius replied.

"Was he trying to kill us? Because _, hello_ , I'm fire proof. That was a pathetic attempt," Brian said.

"Zell was not after you or Tia today, Brian. The fact that you were there probably worked against him."

"I do not understand. If this was not an attempt on our lives, what was he hoping to accomplish?" Tia asked.

"I believe that Zell was searching for Patti."

"For _me_?" Patti squeaked in surprised.

"Yes, Patti. He knew someone with your unique gift would be in that building today… He was trying to draw you out with that attack, just as he set Quin's entire village on fire in search of the one person who would not burn. The question is, why was he searching for you? How does he know you exist? Who are you _really?"_

"I'm Patti… Patricia Ann Ward. That's all there is to me."

"Tell me more about yourself… Your history, your family…"

"My parents are awesome people. They're super supportive of everything I do. They adopted me when I was a newborn. My birth parents loved me, but for whatever reason, they couldn't take care of me. For my safety, and my happiness, they put me up for adoption."

Caius looked a bit haunted and Tia thought of his own history. He'd been forced to give Caleb up for adoption to protect him, and it was the hardest thing he'd ever done.

"Do you know who they were?" Tia asked. "Perhaps there is a clue to why Zell is after you in your history."

"No," Patti admitted. "My parents didn't know them. They said a stranger brought me to them… A mysterious man they called the Phantom. It always sounded a bit like a fairy tale. I thought they made it up…"

"The Phantom…" Tia repeated. "Do you think it could have been the Phantom Ranger?"

"Anything's possible," Brian said. "We should ask him."

"That is an excellent idea," Caius agreed. "But first… Have a seat. I'll put on tea. The three of you have been through a traumatic experience. You need to calm down a bit. And Tia… Please let me examine your leg."

"It's fine," Tia said. She trusted Caius very much, but she wasn't comfortable letting a man look at her legs, even if that man was her mentor.

"Will you allow Tanya to examine it? She's a nurse, after all. I know you're burned, Tia. You need to treat the wound."

She sighed. "Very well," she agreed. "Tanya may examine me."

"I'll call her." He headed off to make the tea and the phone call.

"Are you okay, Patti?" Brian asked.

"I guess so… It's just… It's all a bit weird, you know?" She asked.

"Welcome to Angel Grove. We _specialize_ in weird." He smiled at her, and Patti visibly relaxed. Brian had that effect on people.

The tea was brought to them shortly after, and within ten minutes, Tanya arrived. She led Tia into one of the bedrooms for privacy. "Okay, sweetie… Roll up your pants," Tanya said gently.

Tia did as she was told. The injury looked angry. "That's pretty nasty, but it could be worse," Tanya said. She started treating the wound. "You'll be okay, but I wouldn't blame you if you asked one of the healers to finish taking care of this for you."

"I shall be fine," Tia replied.

"I know… And, let's be honest, Taylor will probably heal it the second he realizes you got hurt. Just relax, sweetie. I know this hurts."

"I can handle pain, Tanya."

"I know you can." She finished treating the wound. "Okay… Just stay off it as much as you can for now and let it rest. You'll be fine in no time."

"Thank you," Tia said. Suddenly, for reasons she couldn't explain, Tia desperately missed her mother.

Tanya seemed to sense the vulnerability in her. She sat beside her and wrapped Tia in a hug. "I'm here any time you need me, Tia. You know I love you."

"I know… And I am grateful for all you do for me and my siblings, Tanya."

They left things there. Tia returned to the others and finished her tea, hoping they'd be able to figure out what had truly happened soon. Zell didn't do things like this for no reason. Patti had powers, and Zell was after her. That meant that Tia and Brian needed to make sure she stayed safe, no matter what. Tia vowed to do everything in her power to accomplish this.

 _ **AUSTIN**_

He wasn't exactly surprised when he got the call from Lee. He simply turned to his wife Kaylen and said, "Kay… Lee called. It's time."

"So they finally made it back?" Kaylen asked.

"Yeah, and apparently, there's a problem… An old enemy came back, too."

"What? Who? Not Divatox, right?"

"No… It's Jaybert, Kay. Zell brought him back."

"Terrific. Just let me get my bat."

Austin laughed as Kaylen grabbed her trusty baseball bat. "Just you and a bat against the world, huh, Darlin'?" Austin teased her.

"Damn right." She kissed him. "Let's go."

"Aren't you forgetting something, Darlin'?"

"What?" She paused. "Oh, right… The offspring. Oi! Kids! Get in here!"

Their daughter and son appeared. "Pack a bag," Kaylen told them.

"Are we going on the road again?" Cameron, their son, asked.

"Sort of," Austin said. "We're heading to Angel Grove."

"What's in Angel Grove?" Their daughter Connie asked.

"Monsters," Kaylen said bluntly. "And your parents need to go slay them, so pack _fast."_

"Fine. _Don't_ tell us," Connie said, rolling her eyes. "Come on, Cam. I'll help you pack."

"Really, Kay?" Austin asked as the kids walked away.

"What? She doesn't _know_ it's the truth."

Austin laughed. "So… This is it…" He said nervously after a minute.

"Hey… Don't worry," Kaylen said. "We've _got_ this."

"Darlin', we've got thirty years on the sidelines. I'm not sure we know how to be Power Rangers anymore."

"Remember what Cassie and Lucas always said? 'Once a Ranger, _always_ a Ranger,' right? It'll come back to us. Besides, we're still in great shape."

That was true. Kaylen was a natural athlete and was constantly training. Austin was a professional musician and had to stay in shape because the world demanded that of celebrities. He could still throw down in a fight, but he chose not to. Austin didn't like giving in to his temper and worked hard not to. Besides, _someone_ had to stay out of jail to post bail money in case Kaylen got arrested for assaulting idiots. He laughed at the thought, relaxing a bit. He loved his wife dearly, but the woman had one hell of a temper when you got on her bad side.

A little while later, they got in the car and began the three hour drive to Angel Grove, California. Austin was relieved to be reuniting with his team. He took a deep breath and told himself they would come out of this okay. They'd survived their big battle… They'd survived the labyrinth of fear that Laby had trapped them in, which was especially hard for Austin. He'd seen himself turning into his father, the abusive bastard who'd murdered his mother. Only Kaylen had been able to snap him out of the illusion. In hindsight, that had probably been the day Austin decided to change his last name. He'd made it official when he married Kaylen, taking her last name of Carter as a proclamation that he would never become that monster as he disowned even his surname, the last link they'd shared.

Kaylen took his hand as he drove for the last twenty minutes of their journey, somehow knowing he needed to feel her there. She _always_ knew. There was a bond between the two of them that Austin couldn't explain. He smiled at her as they parked outside of the hotel.

"Okay, Kids, we're going to check in and then we need to go to a meeting," Austin said. "You guys are free to explore, but please stay together."

"We will, Dad," Cameron promised.

"Sure thing," Connie added.

"And Connie… No hitting innocent people with your bat," he said firmly. He knew how much like Kaylen his little girl was. Of the siblings, she was the tougher one, while Cameron preferred strumming a guitar and writing music just like Austin did. He also knew they took very good care of each other, so he wasn't worried about leaving them alone for a bit.

"You take all the fun out of things, Dad," Connie said with a laugh.

After they checked in and left their things in their room, Austin and Kaylen headed to the spot Lee had told them he'd be waiting in. It was a park, and Lee was already there… And he wasn't alone.

"Cassie!" Kaylen cried with uncharacteristic excitement.

Cassie and Lucas turned toward them. They looked puzzled for a split second before Austin tipped his hat toward them. "Miss Cassie… Lucas…" He said pleasantly.

"Austin!" Cassie cried. "Kaylen! Oh my God…" She flung her arms around them both.

"Damn, it's good to see you guys!" Kaylen said.

Lucas hugged them both next. "It's good to see you, too," he said.

Suddenly, someone else came toward them. She smiled at them sweetly. "Sorry if I'm late," she said apologetically. "I dropped Roxy and Lia off at the Reservation with Ronnie and the kids."

"Hannah? Oh my God, _look_ at you!" Cassie declared. She pulled Hannah into a tight hug.

"I missed you, too, Cassie," Hannah said as she hugged her back. When Cassie finally released her, she looked at Lucas and said, "Lucas…"

Lucas stunned every last one of them as tears formed in his eyes. He pulled Hannah into his arms. "You're beautiful," he said softly. Austin understood why Lucas reacted so strongly. He'd done the unthinkable and changed Hannah's destiny… She'd been destined to be murdered by her foster father, a fate her foster sister would share a decade later. Lucas had saved the lives of both girls by killing the monster who'd been meant to kill them. Seeing that Hannah had, in fact, grown up to be happy and a good person was probably very emotional for him.

Hannah smiled at him. "I'm happy… Thanks to you," she told him honestly.

"Okay," Lee said. "So, that's everyone except-"

Suddenly, Austin sensed trouble. It seemed the others did as well, because they all turned around to face a team of what appeared to be Power Rangers. "Um… Are they friends of yours, Guys?" Austin asked.

"I don't think so…" Lucas said.

"I don't know those uniforms…" Cassie added.

"They're new," the Ranger in Yellow said. "I like this a lot more than my old one."

"Definitely an upgrade," the one in Black said. He pulled out an impressive weapon.

"Oh, great. We're back together for ten seconds and we're already under attack," Lee said.

"And without morphers," Hannah said with a frown.

"Who needs a morpher? I've got my bat," Kaylen said stubbornly.

"We've got this, guys," Cassie said. "Shift into Turbo!" She immediately morphed.

"Time for Time Force!" Lucas chimed in, morphing as well.

"Did anyone _else_ get nostalgic watching that?" Austin joked lightly. He eyed the other team of Rangers, trying to figure out what they might be plotting.

"Get ready to die," the Green Ranger said pleasantly.

"Wait… Riley?" Cassie asked in confusion.

"Your presence here is unwelcome, Wildcats," the Red Ranger said menacingly.

"And Hunter?" Lucas added.

"We are the Rangers of the Flame! You shall meet your end _now_!" Said the Red Ranger… Hunter, apparently.

"The Flames… Oh, shit… This is an entire _team_ of turned Rangers!" Cassie said in horror.

"Look who _finally_ caught up!" The Yellow Ranger taunted her.

"Who are the other two?" Lee asked.

"I don't know their voices," Cassie said. "They're familiar, but I can't place them…"

"They aren't familiar to me," Lucas said with a frown.

They didn't have time to keep pondering as the Rangers of the Flame attacked. The instincts of battle came back to Austin easily, and it seemed that everyone else reacted quickly, too. Even Hannah, the gentlest of them, was holding her own. Then, the evil Rangers broke out more weapons.

Austin was pretty sure they were screwed. That was when something unexpected happened. "Do you hear that?" Kaylen asked.

"What's going on?" Hannah asked.

"Look!" Lee cried, spotting the source of the noise first.

"Well, ho-ly _shit,_ y'all!" Austin said. "It's our Zords."

Sure enough, the Wildcat Zords came racing toward them. In the lead was the Blue Jaguar. "Hey, Guys… Sorry I'm late," a familiar voice said from inside of the Jaguar. "I thought you all might miss our friends here."

"Serena!" Hannah cried with a grin.

"Perfect timing, Darlin'!" Austin added.

"Oh, and… I figured we'd need these, too," Serena said. Suddenly, something flew through the sky toward them.

"Are those…?" Kaylen asked.

"Oh, _hell_ yes!" Lee replied. He looked at the rest of them. "Looks like it's time to break out the old catchphrase… Go, Go, Wildcats!"

"That is music to my ears!" Cassie said.

"Go, Go, Wildcat! Lynx!" Austin said. It was insane how natural it felt to morph again, even after all this time. "It's good to be back in Green…"

"Go, Go, Wildcat! Leopard!" Kaylen shouted. "Fuck yeah!" She declared as she morphed into her Yellow suit.

"Jaguar's already morphed," Serena said.

"Go, Go, Wildcat! Cheetah!" Hannah cried, morphing into the Pink Wildcat Ranger.

Finally, Lee said, "Go, Go, Wildcat! Lion!" He morphed into their Red Ranger and suddenly, Austin felt like no time had passed.

They each got into their Zords. It was like being reunited with an old friend. "Hey, Buddy," Austin said to the Lynx.

Suddenly, the Rangers of the Flame looked uncertain. "They have Zords? No one said anything about Zords!" Yellow protested.

"Should we keep fighting?" Riley asked.

"I say we run," Black said.

"No," Hunter said firmly. "With Syd gone, as the Crimson Ranger, I am in charge of this team. We don't quit until _I_ say we do."

"But… They have freaking _Zords,_ Man!" Riley objected. "And I can't call my old one anymore."

Hunter frowned. "You're right. We're no longer connected to the old Zords… We need _new_ ones. Let me speak to Great Zell. He will set this right. Come! We need to regroup." He looked at the Wildcats and added, "This isn't over. We will destroy you. Your team was never meant to exist."

"Neither was _yours_ ," Lucas replied sharply.

The Rangers of the Flame vanished in a flash of fire. "Well, I'll say _this_ for them," Austin mumbled. "They sure do know how to make an exit."

As they exited their Zords and dropped their morphs, Serena smiled at them. No one hugged her. They knew better. Serena was autistic and despised physical contact, so unless she initiated it, none of them ever did. Now, Serena walked toward Lucas and Cassie. "It's been thirty years," she said. "I suppose a hug once every three decades is acceptable." She awkwardly opened her arms.

Cassie grinned, and even Lucas smiled. They hugged her quickly. "You saved our asses, Serena," Kaylen told her. "You know, _again."_

Serena suddenly perked up. "Oh! I almost forgot. I brought someone with me," she said.

"You mean besides the Zords?" Lee asked.

"Yes." She turned toward her Zord. "Come on out."

Suddenly, someone Austin hadn't seen in thirty years emerged from Serena's Zord. "Alpha!" Hannah cried in delight.

"Hello, Rangers!" Alpha Three greeted them. She seemed to get a bit emotional as she said, "Look at all of you! Together again! Oh, how wonderful this is!"

"I recall Cassie and Lucas mentioning that there were several Alphas here already, and I thought Alpha Three could stay with them for a while," Serena explained.

"I would be happy to lend my energy to the efforts," Alpha Three agreed.

"Of course. Do you need us to bring you there?" Lucas asked.

"Not at all. I'll simply send my fellow Alphas a signal and they'll bring me to them. See you all soon!" She must have done what she'd said, because she vanished shortly after.

"Well, _this_ has been an eventful reunion," Cassie said with a laugh. "I'll say this for you, Wildcats. You _still_ don't do anything small."

"Give us a break, Cassie," Kaylen said. "We were teenagers in the 1980s. It was impossible for us to do anything without a little bit of extra drama."

" _Totally,_ " Lee agreed with a grin.

" _Rad_ ," Cassie said, smiling at them brightly. "Well, now that the drama's over for the moment… Is anyone hungry? Lunch is my treat."

"Oh, no," Austin said firmly. "It's been _thirty years,_ Miss Cassie, and a Southern Gentleman never lets a lady pay. Lunch is _my_ treat."

" _Our_ treat," Kaylen corrected him. "We'll take it from the joint account."

"Okay. _Our_ treat," Austin agreed. "Come on. Let's catch up, y'all."

"Before you get killed by Kira," Kaylen teased him.

"Why would Kira kill him?" Cassie asked.

"Well, Miss Cassie, I sort of became a producer in addition to topping the Billboard charts myself," Austin explained. "And I produced Kira's last album… And I didn't exactly her that I was a Power Ranger, because telling anyone would have endangered the time line."

Cassie started laughing. "Oh, Austin… Good luck with that!" She said. "Do yourself a favor and wear some seriously powerful earplugs and headphones when you tell her, or she'll destroy your eardrums with her Ptera scream."

"Thanks for the tip."

"Sure thing."

They headed to get food together and Austin hoped Cassie was exaggerating. Of course, he _knew_ Kira, so he was pretty sure the threat was legitimate.

 _Oh, Boy,_ he thought. _This may be my scariest mission yet._


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

 _ **LIZA**_

The bird that appeared before her began speaking excitedly. _Hurry! Come with me! Lido requires you!_ It said.

"Hmmm… Lido doesn't usually go out of his way to contact me," Liza said aloud. "Okay. Is he home?" The bird chirped in the affirmative, so Liza nodded. "I'll be right there." She opened a portal and found her way to Lido's hut.

"I got your message," she said casually as she entered the house.

"Hello, Liza," Lido said. "You are actually here for Denni."

"Denni… Conner's daughter, right? Hi, nice to meet you. What's up?" Liza asked the girl who sat on the cot in the hut.

"Liza… Lido says you're really powerful with magic," Denni said.

"I'm a Campbell Sorceress, so yeah. Why?"

"Zell gave me two powers when he had me… The ability to heal pretty much instantly, and apparently, immortality. They're useful, and I'd like to keep them, but I don't want them to be under his control. Do you think you can break his spells and then recast them yourself? I'd rather be tied to someone I can trust, and Lido suggested you."

Liza considered this. "I can remove the powers for sure. Power extraction's one of my stronger skills. As for giving them back… I can cleanse the instant healing and give that back without an issue… Immortality's not a power, though… Not exactly. I'd have to make you immortal myself."

"Can you do that?"

"Well, I mean… Xia turned a horse immortal, so how much harder can it be to do it for a person, right? Sure. I'll figure it out."

"Liza… This is very intense magic. Are you certain?" Lido asked.

"I'm certain that Denni having powers Zell has control of is a very bad idea. I'll find a way," Liza promised.

Five minutes later, she started the magic. She was easily able to extract the instant healing, and it wasn't as hard as she'd imagined it would be to strip the immortality from Denni. However, when she pulled the last of it out, something attacked her. Liza was flung against the wall by an invisible force. She hit her head hard.

"Liza!" Denni cried in alarm as Liza started having a seizure.

The next thing she knew, Lido was holding onto her. "Owwww…" Liza mumbled. She put her hand to her head and came away with blood. "Ugh. Asshole."

"Are you okay?" Denni asked.

"He booby-trapped the spells. I'm fine… Just sore."

"Liza… Take a break," Lido said firmly. He began tending to her head injury. He called in Tedius, who quickly healed the bulk of the damage.

Her head was killing her, but she knew she needed to finish what she'd started. After about an hour of rest, Liza cleansed the instant healing ability before transferring it back to Denni. Then, the bigger part of her work began.

 _Xia, guide me…_ She thought. She hoped her ancestor would give her the strength to pull this off. She knew Zell wouldn't see losing control of Denni's powers coming, and that was important. She could do this…

It took everything she had, but Liza was able to restore the immortality to Denni. Right after she did it, her nose began to bleed. "Ugh…" Liza groaned. "That's never a good sign…" She mumbled to herself.

"Liza… You must rest," Lido said firmly. "Stay the night. You cannot return home like this."

Liza sighed. "You're right. Okay, I'll crash here tonight… I just need a good night's rest and I'll be fine. I burned myself out a little bit."

"The nosebleed is a really bad sign, right?" Denni asked.

"Yeah, but I'm okay. Really. I just overdid it. Don't worry about me."

"Thank you, Liza. You have no idea how much I appreciate your help."

"No problem."

"I will have Kizzie bring you back to the main house," Lido said. He began speaking to a bird, presumably telling it to get Kizzie. Liza wasn't paying much attention. She yawned, resting her head on Denni's shoulder for a few minutes.

At some point, she must have slipped into unconsciousness, because she woke up in the main house in a bed. "Feeling better, Luv?" Kizzie asked. "Here, drink some tea. It will help."

"Thanks, Kizzie," Liza said softly. She drank a bit of tea and it made her feel significantly better. "I'll be okay now."

"Rest up, Luv. Captain Smith sent word to Tanya that you were safe but needed to remain with us tonight. You'll feel much better in the morning." She pulled the covers up over Liza. It was oddly soothing. Liza drifted off into a peaceful sleep shortly after finishing her tea.

 _ **THE NEXT MORNING.**_

 _ **PRINCE PHILLIP III**_

It was a beautiful morning. Prince Phillip gazed out his window longingly, but he couldn't go outside. He had official business to tend to. A Prince's work was never done.

Phillip was about to start looking at the next pile of paperwork when he sensed something in the air. The energy was incredibly powerful, and he recognized it. "Impossible..." He mumbled, but even as he denied it, he knew it was true.

"My Prince?" His chief adviser, Harrison, asked in confusion.

"Harrison... Take everyone you can from the castle and exit through the back passageway," Phillip said very softly. "Be as quiet as possible so you are not discovered."

"Prince Phillip... That passageway is only used when we are under direct attack. In fact, most castle personnel do not even know of it."

"I believe we are about to be under a very serious attack. Please do as I say and get everyone out. I am trusting you, Harrison."

"But, my Prince... You must come with us."

"I cannot do that. Get my family out of here and every member of the staff you can find. That is a _direct order,_ Harrison. Stop wasting time and be quick about it."

Harrison paled at his tone, understanding this was urgent and there was no changing his mind. "Yes, Sir," he said. He quickly informed the staff who were in the room. They looked at Phillip in confusion as they were forced from the room.

 _Please keep them safe,_ he prayed. Then, he headed in the opposite direction of where he'd sent them, toward the energy he'd sensed.

He could call in his team, and perhaps he should, but this was a direct attack on Zandar's soil. Besides, although he trusted Sir Ivan above all of his other men, he knew he'd be putting him in mortal peril if he called him in now. Zell had tried to turn Sir Ivan evil. Since that had failed when Andie had jumped into the flames to save Ivan, he'd most likely grown to despise him even more, especially since Ivan was dating Andie.

Phillip walked into the room he knew Zell had entered and held his head high as he looked at him. "Forgive me," Phillip said sharply. "We were not expecting guests today."

"Greetings, Prince Phillip," Zell said pleasantly. "Please excuse my turning up unannounced. I have simply come to collect something and then I shall be on my way."

"To what does Zandar owe the pleasure of your sudden visit, Great Zell?" Phillip knew enough about Zell to understand that he valued formalities. He responded to respect, even from his enemies. Perhaps Phillip could keep this from turning deadly if he remained calm and kept him talking.

Zell smiled and Phillip knew he'd charmed him. "Finally, a man who keeps things civil. You have great honor, Prince Phillip. I _do_ hope you will continue to cooperate. I would hate to have to harm you."

"Perhaps if you explain why you have come, we can discuss things."

"I have come for the boy."

Phillip looked at him in confusion. _"What_ boy?" He asked.

"There is a young man among your staff who I left in the Crown's care intentionally some time ago. I have come here personally to ensure he is returned to me unharmed."

"Pardon me, but I thought you cared very little about harming others."

"Sometimes in war, it is necessary to harm others... However, this boy is _very_ important to me, and the truth of the matter is that I could not entrust any of my Alliance members with such an important task."

"It is _terribly_ difficult to find good help these days," Phillip said lightly, trying to figure out who it was Zell might be after. There were not many children who worked in the castle, but perhaps _boy_ was not literal. After all, _everyone_ in the palace was young compared to Zell.

"I knew you would understand. Now, tell me, where is the boy?"

"I can think of no one who fits your description, Sir. I do apologize that I couldn't be more helpful. Now, if you will kindly go on your way, I have business to oversee."

That was when he saw someone moving nearby. He had a sword at the ready and looked like the fiercest of knights, but Phillip knew better... The sixteen-year-old boy was merely a servant of the Royal Family of Zandar. He had been ever since he was old enough to help out. The orphan had been left outside of the palace the day he was born. Unable to locate his family, the King had decided to raise the boy within the walls of the palace, allowing him to be brought up by the other servants. There were many servants living within those walls, so Phillip had never paid much attention to the boy, but he knew who he was. He hadn't even considered that Edmund might be the child Zell was looking for.

"Ah, excellent, my dear boy. You have come to us," Zell said, sensing the boy as well.

Edmund did not allow being discovered to lessen his courage in the slightest. He gripped his sword expertly, having been taught to wield it by the bravest Knights of Zandar as he grew up. "Step away from the Prince," Edmund said firmly.

"Your loyalty is admirable, my boy. What is it you are called?" Zell asked fondly, not moving away from Phillip.

"I am Edmund, soon to be _Sir_ Edmund, Knight of Zandar, and I will defend the Crown with my life!"

"Of course you will, my boy. Yes, you _are_ an excellent specimen. Your life has been about honor and loyalty to Zandar. I can show you so much more, my dear Edmund. I believe you shall be of great service to me, and I shall not make you wait for a title... You will be my brave and fierce Knight of the Flame. My top defender and warrior."

"I fight for Zandar. Not you."

"Only because that is all you have ever known... I know where you come from, Edmund. You are very special... And I have come to bring you home."

"This _is_ my home," Edmund said sharply. "And _no one_ threatens the Prince of Zandar on my watch!" He charged at Zell, prepared to battle him.

Zell vanushed and reappeared behind Edmund. The boy stared at him in surprise. "Edmund, get behind me," Phillip instructed.

"No, my Prince. I must defend you!" Edmund protested.

"Why are you still here? Surely Harrison did not leave you behind."

"I was caught up in the evacuation when I realized you were missing, Sir. I came back to protect you. It is my duty, as a loyal servant and future Knight to protect the Royal Family of Zandar."

Phillip sighed. "I admire your courage, Edmund, but I had hoped to keep _all_ of my people safe today."

"Your safety is far more important than mine. I shall gladly sacrifice myself for you."

"That won't be necessary."

"Give me the boy, Prince Phillip, and you may walk free. I have no quarrel with you and shall not harm you," Zell said.

"I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to harm one of my people, Sir. I am certain you understand that," Phillip said.

"I do, of course," Zell replied. "It is unfortunate that we must do things this way." He began gathering energy.

"Stay behind me, Edmund. On my order," Phillip said as Edmund tried to move to protect him. "And speak of this to no one...Pachysaur! Power Ranger, Graphite!" He morphed.

"My Prince!" Edmund cried in surprise.

Zell quickly attacked. He did not hold back on Phillip as he did, and Phillip was barely able to dodge the blows. He took two hard hits to the chest before getting knocked from his morph.

"Prince Phillip!" Edmund cried in alarm. Courageously, he stepped in front of Phillip.

"How fitting that you should be willing to sacrifice yourself for the Prince of Zandar... Just like your father," Zell said.

Suddenly, it clicked. _The boy is Sir Ivan's son!_ Phillip realized. It shouldn't have been possible, but considering the way Zell jumped in and out of the time line...

"Come with me and I shall spare the Prince, my boy," Zell said.

"No, Edmund," Phillip said. "You must not trust him."

"I don't," Edmund said, not lowering his sword.

Zell sighed. "Edmund, my dear boy... You are making this unnecessarily difficult. You have my word, I shall spare Zandar and its Prince if you simply return home with me."

"I'm not going _anywhere_ with you, and I won't let you harm Prince Phillip."

"You shall understand in time, dear boy..." Zell began raising energy again and Phillip knew without a doubt that he was going to die.

 _I must protect the boy,_ he thought. _He is Ivan's son, and I refuse to let any harm come to him. If it means I meet my end, then I will have died with honor._

Phillip took a deep breath and used his body to shield the boy from the incoming spell.

 _ **ANDIE**_

She was sitting comfortably beside Ivan in the training space, taking a break and resting her head on his shoulder when she felt it... _Isobel,_ she realized. Her less complicated past life was trying to take control of her body. She'd learned the hard way that things turned out worse when she fought things like this, so she gave in. This enabled her to keep full awareness of what was happening.

"Prince Phillip is in peril," Isobel said softly through her body.

Ivan looked at her as she pulled away from him. "M'Lady?" He asked.

"Ivan... My love..." Isobel said.

"Isobel?" He asked in surprise.

"The Prince is in danger. There is no time to waste. I must protect him." Isobel began to cast a powerful spell on Prince Phillip. Protecting the Royal Family had been her purpose in life, and apparently, she still considered it her job.

"Isobel, my love... What do you sense?" Ivan asked.

"Andie? Are you okay?" Darcy asked as she came over.

Isobel didn't answer her as she began casting two more spells at once. Andie had never felt so much magic fly out of her in such a short amount of time, but then again, Isobel rarely took her body hostage. It was usually Daphne, who was much more timid. Isobel turned to Ivan and said, "Forgive me, my love, but this body's blood does not qualify..." With that, she cut Ivan's hand with a dagger she'd pulled from the nearest training station. "Blood of Zandar, protect thy Prince!" She cried. Andie could feel how much stronger the spells became.

"Ah... Isobel?" Darcy guessed.

"Indeed," Ivan said, not fighting Isobel as she touched his blood to the ground, using it to draw a protection seal of some sort. Andie was mildly horrified, but at least it was a small cut. Ivan would be fine, but that didn't make it any less disturbing.

"Okay, I'm a little afraid to ask, but... What the hell is going on here?" Kira asked as she joined them.

"Prince Phillip the Third is in mortal peril. He will perish if we do not get him out of Zandar _now,"_ Isobel said.

"My boy Phil?" Kira asked in alarm. "Oh, _hell_ no! What do we need? A portal? I'll get Liza and Tia over here-"

"Not the sisters," Isobel said firmly. "Zell is in the palace. He'll see them coming and act even quicker. Besides, I believe he has warded against traditional portals as a precaution. We need something... Unexpected."

"Zell is in Zandar? In the flesh?" Ivan asked in horror.

"Yes, my love... He seeks a boy... An orphan who works there. Our Prince is trying to protect the boy, but he is gravely injured." She shook her head. "I must create a pocket realm... One which will transport them once they are safely inside."

"Isobel... You've only done that _once,_ and it nearly killed you," Ivan said.

"But it saved our King. I had no regrets."

"But _Izzy-"_

She put her index finger to his lips to silence him. "I love you, Ivan... But you must allow me to do this. It is their only chance."

"You are remarkably stubborn, M'Lady."

"Is that not what you love most about me?" She offered him a slightly mischievous grin.

He smiled sadly. "Indeed... Please be cautious, M'Lady."

"Isobel... Are you sure you can do this without killing my sister?" Darcy asked.

"I shall do my best not to harm Andie's body," Isobel promised. "Now... Everyone, kindly stand back."

 _ **EDMUND**_

He'd been certain they were going to die. Then, a strange energy had formed around them. "What's happening?" Edmund asked in confusion as Zell's magic failed to hit them.

"I sense..." Prince Phillip paused, his eyes going wide. "An _army..._ The fallen Knights of Zandar from over the centuries."

"Incredible!" Edmund declared. "It's as if they are surrounding us... But how?"

"It's a Shield of Souls," the Prince replied. He let out a sigh of relief. "Andie... She must have realized what's happening here. She's trying to protect us."

"Andie?" Edmund repeated. "The one who stayed here recently with Sir Ivan? She has _magic?"_

"Yes... She's the reincarnation of one of the Mages of Zandar. She was Sir Ivan's beloved then, too."

Zell was growing furious as his magic failed to touch his target. "Who _dares_ to stand against me?" He demanded. Then, he seemed to sense it. " _Daphne..."_ He said the name in a creepy way, like just the thought of this Daphne person was a drug he was desperately addicted to.

"Was Daphne the Mage?" Edmund asked the Prince.

"Our Mage was named Isobel, actually," Prince Phillip said softly. "Daphne is an even older past life of Andie's... She was _his_ wife."

Suddenly, a pocket of air popped up behind them. A door appeared and swung open. "What's that?" Edmund asked in confusion.

"Apparently, it is our ride. Come, Edmund... The Shield is starting to crack under Zell's assault. We must hurry," Prince Phillip said.

Edmund helped him to his feet. The first few spells Zell had flung at him had taken their toll. Prince Phillip was bleeding badly and his legs were barely able to hold him up with how hurt they were. Prince Phillip had to lean on Edmund just to walk the short distance to the door.

"No!" Zell screamed just as the door slammed shut behind them.

It was dark inside the room or whatever they'd entered. The Prince fell to his knees as his legs gave out on him. "Prince Phillip!" Edmund cried in alarm. He knelt beside him, hoping to find a way to stop the bleeding. The room began to tumble onto its side and continued rolling.

"Hold on!" Prince Phillip cried, grabbing onto Edmund's hand before he could get sucked away from him.

Finally, the doorway popped open again. Unfortunately, it was right beneath them, and they fell through the opening. They landed on the floor of an unfamiliar room. Edmund looked up in alarm as a bunch of people surrounded them.

"He very hurt," a strange man said urgently. "Need healer."

A girl Edmund vaguely recognized as Andie suddenly collapsed into Sir Ivan's arms. "Yeah, well, the healer needs a healer, too," a woman said. "Pierce, help Andie. Sage isn't here, so... Taylor! Help my boy Phil, would you? Thanks. He's not looking so Prince-like."

"On it, Kira," a boy Edmund assumed was Taylor replied.

Kira came over with him. The man who'd spoken strangely and two others did as well. Sir Ivan looked torn between holding onto Andie and going to the Prince.

"I've got her, Ivan. Check on Prince Phillip," the one Kira had called Pierce said.

"Thank you, my good Sir Pierce," Ivan said before heading toward the Prince. "My good Prince... Are you well?"

"I have been better," Prince Phillip admitted.

"Phil, my _boy,_ what the hell happened?" Kira asked. "And, Kid... Who are you?"

Edmund was stunned at the casual way Kira addressed the Prince. He hesitated. "It's alright, Edmund," Prince Phillip said weakly. "You can trust Lady Kira. She's in charge here."

"Are you the Queen of this land?" Edmund asked.

Kira cracked a huge smile then. "Well, not officially, no," she said with a laugh. "I just give everyone orders and try to keep them from getting killed."

Edmund nodded. "I am Edmund, humble servant and future Knight of Zandar."

"Current," Prince Phillip said.

"Pardon?"

" _Current_ Knight. Your courage today showed me you are more than worthy of the title, despite your age. Sir Ivan was quite young when he became a Knight and he's the most celebrated one in our history."

Edmund was stunned. "Th... Thank you, Sir. I won't let you down!"

"I know you won't."

"Prince... Okay?" The strange man asked.

"I shall be fine, Koda, my friend. Worry not," the Prince replied.

"You gave us quite a scare, Prince Phillip," a man with an accent said.

"Please accept my apologies, Chase. I should have called in the team, but I was worried Zell would go straight for Sir Ivan."

"I would _gladly_ fight that fiend again! Especially for you, my Prince," Ivan said.

"I know... But I also know it's personal for him. I refused to risk you. Besides, he's been killing Power Rangers left and right. I could not risk the team." He looked at the young girl who stood with Chase and Koda.

"I can handle a fight," she said. "We _all_ can, and I've been training to catch up with the rest of you."

"I do not doubt your skill or courage, AJ... But I refused to risk your life today."

Kira shook her head. "Next time, call for help," she said softly. That seemed to betray how scared she'd been for the Prince. He looked ashamed.

"My apologies, Lady Kira... For making you worry."

She squeezed his hand. "We've lost enough," she told him. Then, she looked at the others. "Chase, it's time to call Tyler. Zell tried to kill my boy Phil and... Sorry to announce this here but Cassie only told me a little while ago... He turned Riley. We need to get everyone here so we can protect them."

"Riley?" AJ repeated softly. Koda automatically pulled her closer to him.

"The _fiend!"_ Ivan proclaimed.

The door suddenly burst open. A boy and girl came in. The boy looked white as a sheet. "Troy? Nessa? What's wrong?" Someone asked.

"Jayden..." Troy said to him breathlessly. "Guys, Dino Charge is in _serious_ danger." He paused, seeing the Prince. "Damnit... I'm too late."

"Troy, _breathe,"_ Nessa said. "He's alive. Taylor's got him. He'll be fine."

"What's going on, Troy?" Chase asked nervously. "You say my team is in danger. What else did you find out?"

"I finally got through to..." Troy paused. "To James." Several people tensed or looked upset, including the Prince.

"What did he tell you?" Jayden asked since no one else seemed willing to speak.

"He _has_ been trying to warn Tyler... Zell's made it his mission to destroy that team in particular. He turned Riley... I don't think Tyler and Kendall know he's gone yet. And he went after Prince Phillip, obviously... He has plans to destroy or turn every last person on that team."

"Why's he got such a hard-on for Dino Charge?" One of the guys asked. Kira smacked him on the back of his head like it was a reflex. "Ouch!"

"There are _kids_ here, Conner," she pointed out. " _And_ that's a dumb question."

"Why is it dumb?" He took a step back. "And don't hit me for asking that."

Another man raised his hand. "May I?" he asked.

"Knock yourself out, Trent... Before Kira knocks _Conner_ out," another said with a laugh.

"Thank you, Ethan... Okay, so, Dino Charge is Sir Ivan's team... Zell hates Sir Ivan because he's dating Andie, who he creepily considers to be his... He thinks Sir Ivan stole the woman he loved away from him. Therefore, Zell wants to destroy the people Sir Ivan loves the most," Trent explained.

"Oh... Yeah, that makes sense," Conner said.

"My team is in peril because that fiend has a quarrel with _me,"_ Sir Ivan said in horror. He shook his head. "I _must_ protect them."

" _We_ must protect them," Kira corrected him. "And that includes protecting you. Okay... Chase, call Tyler. Have him bring _everyone_ to Angel Grove. Kendall, Zenowing… Hell, bring Keeper, too."

"Zenowing won't come. He's... Stubborn," Chase said. "He gets pretty busy on his home planet."

"I don't give a fuck if you have to go to his planet and drag him kicking and screaming. He's coming. Zell's after _all_ of you. He's part of that."

"I'll have Tyler talk to Keeper. I'm sure _he_ can get through to him," Chase said. He hurried off to make the call.

"Do you feel better, Phillip?" Taylor asked.

"Indeed. Thank you," Prince Phillip replied.

"Good. I need food."

"Taylor, Food Station. Dino Charge, stay. Pierce, keep working on Andie. Everyone else, back to work," Kira said.

Everyone followed her orders. Ivan turned to Edmund. "I wish to congratulate you on your courage, Sir Edmund," he said grandly. "Good lad. Zandar owes you a debt for protecting our Prince."

Edmund couldn't help but smile at that. "Thank you, Sir Ivan. It is an honor to properly meet you. I have seen you visit the castle, but we have never interacted."

"The honor is mine, Brave Sir!" He shook Edmund's hand. Suddenly, a spark of magic burst between them. They quickly jumped away from each other.

"What was _that?"_ Edmund asked.

"Sir Ivan... There is something we must discuss," Prince Phillip said. "Edmund, please stay with the rest of my team. Help yourself to the food station. You must be famished."

Edmund couldn't deny this as his stomach growled. "Yes, my Prince," he said. He bowed to him. The Prince guided Sir Ivan to a more private area and Edmund wondered what they might be discussing.

 _ **IVAN**_

He took a good look at Prince Phillip to reassure himself that Taylor had fully healed him. "Are you certain you're well, Prince Phillip?" He asked.

"I'm fine. Taylor's good at what he does, and Andie's magic reached us in time," Phillip promised. "Ivan... We need to talk."

"Of course. What is on your mind?"

"It's about the boy... Edmund."

"A brave warrior indeed! He shall make an excellent Knight. He reminds me of myself as a lad."

"There's a reason for that."

Ivan looked at him in confusion. "Alright... And that reason is...?"

"The boy is _yours,_ Ivan. You have another son."

Ivan stared at him, unable to comprehend his words. "That's _not_ possible, Prince Phillip... I have not lain with a woman in centuries! Isobel bore my only child long ago, and I never met the boy." His heart ached at his own words. He hated that his beloved had been forced to raise their son alone, believing Ivan to be dead.

"Zell must have employed time travel. The boy was likely born recently."

"I have been faithful to Andie... And we have not crossed that particular line. I respect that she is not ready."

"I believe you... But Zell admitted the boy was yours. He made a comment about Edmund's father sacrificing himself to save Zandar's Prince, too... I do not know details, my dear friend, but I can tell you this. Edmund came to us as an infant, abandoned on the palace steps. My father took him in and the servants raised him. He is fiercely loyal to my family and to Zandar... And he shares some of your mannerisms and features, but I never realized that until I made the connection."

Ivan felt as if all of the air had been stolen from his body. He struggled to come to terms with what Phillip was telling him, knowing he wouldn't lie about this. "I... I have a son..."

"Yes, Ivan... And he's a wonderful boy. I believe he will make you proud. He stared Zell in the face and defied him. He is as courageous as his father."

Ivan nodded. "Does he know?"

"I didn't tell him and I don't think he understood what Zell was implying... We can run his DNA against yours to be sure, but... I know he's yours, Ivan. There is no doubt in my mind."

Ivan took a deep breath. "Then I shall raise the boy with honor... But what shall I tell Andie? Who is his mother?"

"I don't know. Perhaps the DNA results will tell us something. As for Andie... Tell her the truth, Ivan. That is all you can do."

Ivan knew he was right. "M'Lady will understand... I hope."

"The girl flung herself into the Flames of Evil to save you, Ivan. Trust me, this won't make her run from you."

They returned to the others. Caius immediately approached them. "I sensed you would have need of this device," he said. "The boy comes from unknown origins like Denni, correct?"

"Denni?" Phillip asked.

"Daughter of Conner. Lido rescued her from Zell," Ivan explained. "No one had any knowledge of her existence prior."

"Ah. So there is more than one child he has placed throughout time... Yes, Caius, we require a DNA test," Phillip said. "Edmund... Please come here."

Edmund hurried to them. Ivan stared at the boy, searching for _something._ He realized quickly that the boy had his eyes. His features were similar to Ivan's and even the way he carried himself was familiar.

"Yes, my Prince?" Edmund asked.

"Caius needs to take a sample of your DNA... It's very important. Will you allow it?' Phillip asked.

"I suppose that's fine..." Edmund said nervously.

"Thank you, Edmund. I promise it will be painless," Caius said. He quickly gathered the sample before placing it inside of his device. It began beeping urgently almost immediately. "It is a perfect match. There is no doubt."

"For me?" Ivan asked softly.

"Yes, Sir Ivan. The match is exceptionally strong."

"What's going on?" Edmund asked.

Ivan looked into the boy's eyes and sighed. "Edmund... It would appear that you are, in fact, my son," he said.

"Your _son?"_ Edmund repeated. "But... You were trapped for hundreds of years inside of a monster and only resurfaced recently... I know the legend. How can I be your son?"

"Zell manipulates the time line. You were most likely somehow conceived recently... And I have no idea how. None of that matters currently. You are my son, and you fought with great honor today. I am incredibly proud of you, Edmund... I shall protect you from that fiend with all that I possess. As for the rest... We shall figure that out as we go."

"My father... Is Sir Ivan? _The_ Sir Ivan?" Edmund asked.

"Yes," Phillip replied.

"That's _awesome!"_ Edmund grinned. "I always thought my parents were peasants who couldn't afford to keep me or something... This is _much_ cooler."

Ivan found himself smiling, too. "And my son saved the Prince of Zandar at great risk to his personal safety. I suspect you and I are much alike, Edmund," he said.

Vida came toward him. "Andie's coming around," she informed him.

"Ah... M'Lady..." Ivan said. "Edmund... If you'll excuse me briefly..."

"Of course," Edmund said. "Wait... What should I call you? Sir Ivan? Just Ivan? Father? Dad?"

"I suppose any of the above would be acceptable... But... I must admit, it is sort of nice to have someone call me Dad... I had a son, long ago, who I never got to meet. It is nice to get a second chance at being a father, even if the circumstances are complicated." He offered Edmund... His _son..._ A smile before going to check on Andie.

She had just started to sit up in Pierce's arms. Darcy was stroking her hair gently. "M'Lady... Are you well?" Ivan asked as he knelt beside her.

"Weak..." Andie mumbled.

"You need food," Dustin said practically. He smiled at her kindly. "Come on, Andie... Or Isobel? Or Daphne? Or… Is there another option?"

Andie managed to return the smile. "It's Andie," she said with a slight laugh. "Isobel drained all of her energy and most of mine with those spells."

Ivan helped her to her feet. "My good Sir Dustin is correct, M'Lady. You require sustenance," he said.

Andie looked at his hand and sighed. "I'm sorry about your hand... I couldn't stop her from cutting you." She looked ashamed.

Ivan laughed. "Worry not, M'Lady. 'Tis a minor wound. Besides... This is hardly the first time Isobel's done that to me."

"Seriously?"

"Our connection was quite powerful, Andie... And when things were truly dire, a bit of my blood could add incredible power to her spells. She did not do it often... Only when she was left with no choice... But to save the Prince, she needed blood from Zandar, and although Isobel was from Zandar, you are not. It's fine, M'Lady. I would gladly shed a bit of blood to protect Prince Phillip. Now... Eat." He motioned toward the plate of food Dustin had gathered for her.

Andie began to eat. After a minute, she looked more stable. She frowned as she studied Ivan. "He's yours, isn't he?" She asked.

"Pardon?" Ivan asked in surprise.

"The boy Prince Phillip saved. He's yours. That's why Zell went in person instead of sending minions after him."

Ivan sighed. "Yes, M'Lady. It does seem the boy is somehow my offspring. I assure you I have not lain with a woman since Isobel. Please forgive this revelation-"

"Ivan..." She kissed him, effectively silencing his ramblings. "I know you would never cheat on me, and I know how Zell's mind works. Whatever happened, this isn't your fault. I'm not upset with you... I'm just glad the boy is safe. Was he hurt? Was Phillip?"

"The Prince was gravely injured. Taylor had to heal him, and it took a bit... He is fine now. As for Edmund... He appears to have remained unharmed. He bravely fought to protect Phillip. In fact, the Prince has announced Edmund has gained the title of Knight. He's probably the youngest Knight of Zandar since me."

Andie smiled at him and his heart melted. "You must be very proud."

"Indeed. I only wish I understood how he came to exist and why Zell was determined to abduct him."

"We'll figure it out, Ivan." She kissed him again before she resumed eating. Ivan kept an arm wrapped protectively around her side, unwilling to let her go. He knew how much power Isobel's spell had taken. To cast a Shield of Souls around someone from such a great distance was draining enough, but transporting them via pocket realm could have killed Andie. He was just grateful that Andie was alright now.

As she finished eating, Ivan said, "Would you like to meet my son?"

"I'd like that very much," Andie replied with a nod.

Ivan took her arm and led her to Edmund and Phillip. As Phillip embraced Andie and thanked her for saving them, Ivan hoped that whatever Zell was plotting, they could defend against it.

 _ **DUSTIN**_

Kira took his hand and led him away from everyone else. They ended up in the back room of the training facility. "Dus… We need to talk," she said softly.

"Sure… What's going on?" Dustin asked, worried there was more bad news coming. He knew that look on Kira's face.

"I mentioned Riley being turned… But Cassie and Lucas gave me another name, too… And you need to know, but I wasn't sure how to tell you."

Dustin took a deep breath. "Just tell me, Kira. It's okay," he promised her.

"It was Hunter, Dustin… Zell turned Hunter."

Dustin felt the blood drain from his face. "Hunter…" He repeated.

"I can call Cam and Blake to verify he's missing, but yeah… Lucas recognized his voice."

"He was… He had a mission. Blake was supposed to be checking in with him every couple of weeks or so… Zell must have… He must have found him alone… Caught him off-guard…"

"Dustin, breathe… Please. I'm sorry. I hate that I had to tell you that."

"He turned him… He turned Hunter…" Dustin couldn't stop the panic that was overwhelming him suddenly as images of Tori and Shane, dead within minutes of each other, flashed through his mind. He'd watched both of his teammates die, and now Hunter had been turned evil…

"He'll be okay, Dustin. We'll get him back. Being turned is better than getting killed, right? Turned, we can fix… Dead, not so much."

"My team…" Dustin mumbled. He looked at Kira and suddenly couldn't continue to hold back everything he'd been holding back since the last battle. The tears started streaming down his cheeks and he sank to his knees on the ground.

"What's going on?" Dustin heard someone ask.

"I just delivered some pretty shitty news, Jayden… And I think I sent my boyfriend into shock," Kira replied.

"Not in shock… Just… Can't breathe…" Dustin mumbled.

"Get him out of here. I'll cover the rest of the training session. He obviously needs time," Jayden said.

"Thanks, Jayden," Kira replied. "Come on, Dustin. Let's go somewhere more private."

"Tori… She… And… And Shane… And now… Now Hunter…" Dustin mumbled as his chest tightened even more. Why couldn't he breathe? What was wrong with him?

"Hunter? Oh no, is he…?" Jayden asked.

"Turned, but alive," Kira said.

Jayden let out an audible sigh of relief. "It could be worse then. We'll get him help, Dustin. Just hang onto that, okay?"

"He turned him… He turned Hunter… My team… It's falling apart again… The core team's gone and now the rest of them are following… I can't… I can't breathe… I…" Dustin rambled.

"Dustin, you're having a panic attack," Kira said gently. "It's okay. You're going to be okay… Just breathe… Try to ground yourself to me… And let's get you out of here."

He couldn't process her words even though he heard them. He'd never felt this panicked before. Normally, Dustin was pretty easy-going. Losing his team had been hard, but he'd survived it because he'd had no choice. Now, he was broken and he couldn't figure out how to fix himself.

"I'm… I'm sorry… I'm okay… I… I'm okay…" Dustin insisted.

"Dus… You're _not_ okay," Kira said.

"I _have_ to be! He needs me, the kids need me, you need me… Everyone needs me. I have to be okay… I…" His chest was still tightening. "I can't breathe…" He was crying harder now.

Suddenly, he heard the strangest thing… A soothing voice singing softly. _"Oh… Why you look so sad? Tears are in your eyes. Come on and come to me now… Don't be ashamed to cry. Let me see you through, 'cause I've seen the dark side, too… When the night falls on you, you don't know what to do… Nothing you confess could make me love you less… I'll stand by you… I'll stand by you… Won't let nobody hurt you. I'll stand by you…"_ A brilliant light filled the room and Dustin could feel himself very slowly calming down. His chest was gradually opening back up and air was starting to make its way into his lungs properly again. His heart began slowing down to a normal rate.

"Tammy…" He whispered.

" _So if you're mad, get mad. Don't hold it all inside. Come on and talk to me now. Hey, what you got to hide? I get angry, too. Well I'm a lot like you. When you're standing at the crossroads and don't know which path to choose, let me come along, cause even if you're wrong, I'll stand by you…"_ Tammy continued to sing. Dustin realized Kira's voice had joined in, harmonizing perfectly with Tammy, and that soothed him even more. Tammy's light continued to touch his heart and Kira's voice provided the same comfort it always did.

" _I'll stand by you… I'll stand by you… Won't let nobody hurt you… I'll stand by you. Take me in, into your darkest hour and I'll never desert you… I'll stand by you. And when, when the night falls on you, baby… You're feeling all alone, you won't be on your own… I'll stand by you. I'll stand by you. Won't let nobody hurt you… I'll stand by you…"_ They continued singing until the song reached its end.

Kira wiped away a couple of tears which remained in Dustin's eyes. "That was a hell of a song, Ladies…" He said softly.

"And we meant every word," Kira replied.

"Are you feeling calmer now?" Tammy asked gently.

He nodded. "Thank you, Tammy… I needed that." He pulled her into a tight hug. She hugged him back before releasing him into Kira's arms.

"Take the rest of the night off, Dustin. You've more than earned it," Jayden said sympathetically.

"I'm sorry I lost it," Dustin apologized.

"Dustin… We're _all_ total basket cases," Tammy said. "It was your turn to have a meltdown. It's been overdue, honestly."

"She's right, Dustin," Jayden said firmly. "You're more than entitled to freak out once in a while. You don't always have to be strong. We're all here for you."

"Always," Kira added firmly.

"Thanks, guys… I think I'm okay… But I'll take the time off anyway. I don't want the kids to see my eyes all red and make them worry about me," Dustin said. "Kira… Are you coming with me?"

"Of course I am. Come on… I'll find something dorky to do that'll cheer you up," Kira said.

"You know me so well." He managed a small smile before he let Kira take him away.

 _ **SAGE**_

She'd journeyed into the Underworld undetected. It was easy enough to find Amareese. The Eltarian Sorceress was wrapped in an embrace.

"Be careful, my love," the man holding her said. "This battle shall be your most dangerous fight yet."

"I know, my darling," Amareese said. "But the children need my help... _Laby_ needs me... And my boy... The child I never met... He is caught up in the middle of all this as well."

"You find that boy, Ama... You deserve to meet your kin."

Amareese looked up then. "Hello again, Sage," she said pleasantly. She looked incredibly sad, but also fiercely determined. "This is my husband, Flekt."

"Nice to meet you," Sage said politely. She knew nothing about Flekt except that Jaybert had murdered him and he was their Chapter's tactical guy, but she was fairly certain if Amareese loved him, he was trustworthy.

"Likewise," Flekt replied. "You take care of my Ama, Sage. I am told you are a fierce warrior with great honor. I expect her to return to me eventually, a long time from now, in roughly this condition."

"I'll do everything I can to protect her," Sage promised.

Flekt turned to Amareese. "Make that bastard _pay,_ Amareese."

"I promise to make you proud, my love," she replied. She kissed him.

"I love you," Flekt said so softly, Sage almost didn't catch it.

"And I, you. Always," Amareese replied. "I am ready, Sage."

"Good," Sage replied. She led Amareese away from Flekt before saying, "So, your body was most likely either burned when the Base burned or turned to ash after the fact. That means I had to basically craft a new one for you from those remains... It's not easy. I am working with someone I trust... I summoned the ashes, and I pulled a form together, and he has been healing it and keeping it viable... But we won't know if it worked until I try to put your soul inside of it. All of this could be for absolutely nothing..."

"It's not," Amareese said. "I have great faith in you, Sage. I know this will work. I _feel_ it."

Sage suddenly understood why Laby had been so attached to this woman. Her words filled her with strength. It was almost like it had been before, when Sage had trained with her mother. The constant encouragement and faith in her abilities...

 _But my mother is dead now... She's just an ancestor,_ Sage reminded herself.

Amareese seemed to somehow sense her distress. She put a gentle hand on Sage's arm. "You have great pain in your past, Sage. I can see that... Turn it into something more. Sometimes, it is our pain that brings out our greatest strength."

Sage nodded. "Thank you, Amareese. I'll be alright." She looked at the dark road ahead of them. "We have to follow this path. I'm sort of doing this without permission."

"Your mother didn't agree to this?"

"She doesn't know. But that's okay. I can do this on my own."

"Of course you can. You have great strength within you." She smiled at her warmly. Sage instantly felt at ease. Her own mother might not believe in her, but Amareese did. That helped somehow.

They moved quickly through the path. Finally, they reached the exit. Sage wrapped herself around Amareese and jumped through. Sage slammed back into her body hard.

"Whoa! Steady, Sage," Amos said gently. He touched her shoulder with one hand, touching Amareese's body with the other.

Sage put her hands over Amareese's heart and forehead. "Come on, Amareese... Wake up. Breathe..." After a minute of nothing, Sage was certain she'd failed. Then, she felt Amareese's chest slowly start to rise and fall. Her pulse gradually grew stronger. Finally, she opened her eyes.

"See?" She said softly. "I _knew_ you could do this."

Sage hugged her with relief. Then she hugged Amos for good measure. "Oh, how nice!" Amos said pleasantly. "You did well, Sage."

"I'm just glad this worked," Sage said. "We're on Reservation land. No one will detect you here. You can stay until you're used to being in a body again, then we will figure out what else needs to be done."

"Thank you, Sage... I'm sure I'll be fine in a bit... Did you tell Laby I was coming back?" Amareese asked.

"Not exactly... I wanted to make sure I could pull it off first. Getting his hopes up would only hurt him. He went and saw the Rebels briefly, but he's mostly staying with me and avoiding everyone. I'll talk to him later."

"I hope my return can bring him some peace... He deserves that much."

"O-kay, time to move our friend here to your uncle's house," Amos said suddenly.

"If I take her to Uncle David's, the Goddess of the Underworld will realize I took her," Sage said.

"David promised he will keep her hidden for a bit. He knows how to block Casey."

"Wait, he knows what I did?"

"He told me this morning, before you arrived, that he'd sensed your plans... And he blocked Casey from catching on and stopping you. David believes Amareese needed to return as well. Also, Casey appeared to him trying to drag him into your fight. He told her in no uncertain terms that he supports you in this situation."

"Uncle David's on _my_ side?" Sage repeated.

"Of course he is. He adores you, and Casey's overstepping her boundaries by interfering in your path as a Shaman. Now, come! David has prepared food for us, and all three of us need it."

Sage didn't argue. Not only was she exhausted, but she was also starving. She and Amareese followed Amos to her Uncle David's house and Sage tried not to stress out over the fight with her _ancestor._ If David supported her, it meant she really was on the right path. That was enough for her.

 _ **DENNI**_

She'd spent hours figuring out how to really control her powers. Now, Denni was ready to go after her missing team member. First, she traveled to the Animarium. She appeared right beside Merrick.

"Denni?" He asked in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"I need a favor," Denni said.

"A favor?" He repeated.

"Yeah... I need you to distract Princess Shayla."

"From what, exactly?"

Denni found it hard to lie to Merrick. "I'm going rogue," she admitted. "I'm rescuing our teammate."

"Denni-"

"You can't talk me out of this. He's _fourteen_ and he's scared to death. It's cruel to leave him there... But if you help me, I'd have an easier time pulling this off."

He sighed. "Swear to me you will be careful."

"I promise."

"Very well. I can buy you an hour or two. Go on. Be safe."

She hugged him, which seemed to surprise him. Merrick awkwardly returned her embrace and Denni could tell he didn't get hugged very often. "Thank you," she said. "I'll be back before you know it." She headed into the shadows, hoping she'd be able to pull this off without too much trouble.

 _ **MARCO**_

He had cut his hands up badly trying to claw his way out of the impossibly small room. It didn't matter. He'd gotten nowhere. The walls were solid and so was the door. His panic had led to hopelessness, but he knew he couldn't give up… That voice had been pretty insistent about that.

Marco pulled the Bison out of his pocket again. It stared at him sadly before moving its head slightly as if to indicate something…

 _Grow something,_ it seemed to be saying. _You can escape._

"I can't grow anything… I'm too weak and I'm nowhere near soil or anything that can help me," Marco mumbled.

The crystal somehow fell from his hand. Marco quickly grabbed it and slid it back into his pocket before realizing that there was a crack in the floor where it had landed. He touched the crack, tracing it and realizing that something was underneath the tile… Dirt.

"I'm in a basement," he realized. "Which means there's dirt beneath this place… Maybe actual ground I can grow something from." He touched the dirt, desperately praying it would connect him to the power of Earth… And he felt the slightest hint of his powers beginning to stir.

He closed his eyes and willed a vine to grow from the earth beneath him. It worked, springing up and quickly covering the wall closest to him. Marco stood up and carefully avoided the thorns attached to it as he whispered, "I need a tree I can climb… One that can grow tall enough to break through the ceiling without killing me in the process." He'd never attempted such a precise act before, but he had no choice now.

Slowly, a tree began to come up beneath him. He cautiously grabbed onto a strong branch and didn't let go as the tree broke through the ceiling. Another dark room was above him, so he continued to grow the tree until they'd broken through three floors. Finally, he saw light… A window.

Marco hopped out of the tree and looked out of the window into the moonlight. He was on the ground level, which meant his cell had been _really_ low beneath the earth. He chose not to focus on that because it made the claustrophobia kick back in.

Desperate to be free from small spaces, Marco opened the window and climbed outside. He'd only made it a couple of feet when he heard Zell calling after him. "A wonderful display of your talents, my dear boy! Well done! Come back inside now and we can discuss your gift," he said.

Marco was terrified Zell was going to lock him right back up, but he still wouldn't give in to him. "No thanks, Mate," he said. "I'm going home."

Suddenly, someone grabbed him from the shadows. Marco let out a startled cry, certain Zell had found him, and tried to attack the one who'd grabbed him. She didn't let go, and suddenly, they disappeared into the darkness. He wanted to cry until the darkness vanished and they were suddenly in some sort of beautiful forest.

"What… What is this place?" Marco managed to ask.

"Welcome to the Animarium," the girl said. "You're safe here. Zell can't find you."

Marco took a deep breath. "Great… The name's Marco. What do I call you?"

"Denni."

"Alright, Denni… Not that I don't appreciate the save, but can you tell me what's going on here?"

"You found a crystal recently, right?"

"I did…"

"It's the Bison Crystal. The Bison chose you to protect it, Marco… I have one, too… Mine's a Lion. And there are others… When we realized you were missing, Princess Shayla searched for you and I saw that Zell had you… I couldn't just leave you there. He kidnapped me, too. I know what he's capable of."

"He told me he knew who my parents were… But apparently, my father wants nothing to do with me."

"That's probably not true. My dad didn't know about me until recently. His name is Conner, and I've actually known him for years."

"He said my father had no interest in me… Some bloke named Xander Bly."

"Xander… I think he's one of Kira's friends. Zell's a liar, Marco. Chances are that your dad has no idea you exist."

"You mean… He didn't just abandon me in the woods?"

"Probably not…"

"Denni… Do we have to stay here? Can we go somewhere else? Just until I get my head on straight? I don't feel safe here."

"The Animarium's really safe, but… Okay. I think I'd rather avoid Princess Shayla for a little bit longer anyway. She's going to be mad I went against orders and went after you."

"She didn't want you to go after me?"

"She was worried I'd get captured again… But I couldn't leave you. I feel connected to you, Marco. And you were terrified."

"Yeah, so much for being brave… I'm sort of extremely claustrophobic."

"I know. It's okay. Everyone's got things that scare them. Come on. I'll take you to Lido. You can trust him. He's the one who rescued me, and he lives in the woods."

"That sounds like heaven right now."

She took him back into the shadows. He felt safer this time, and they quickly ended up in a new wooded area. Marco touched the ground, feeling instantly comforted by the soil. He quickly created a path of flowers around Denni.

"Whoa… Neat trick," Denni said appreciatively. She touched the flowers and smiled. "Is that how you got out? Did you use vines to climb out or something?"

"I grew a tree in the middle of the place, actually. I think it's a nice addition," Marco replied.

"Nice. The place needed some redecorating." She grinned at him. "Come on. You'll be safe here, too. Lido seems pretty confident that Zell won't cross him on his turf."

As soon as Marco reached the hut Lido apparently lived in, he felt safer. Then he saw the rather intimidating man who must be Lido. "G'Day, Mate…" Marco said with his best smile. "I'm Marco. Pleasure to meet you…"

Lido stared at him with a frown. "Denni?" He asked.

"Lido… This is my friend Marco. He's part of the new Wild Force… And I just got him away from Zell," Denni explained.

The very intimidating man looked at Marco with mild interest. "You are injured," he observed. He immediately began to examine Marco's hands. Marco recoiled as he touched him.

"Lido won't hurt you, Marco," Denni promised. "He's got herbs to heal injuries. He can help."

"Sorry… It's just been a rough day… Or days… I'm not even sure how long he had me in there," Marco admitted.

"How did you get these wounds?" Lido asked as he began to patch him up.

"I beat my hands on the door… Tried to claw my way out… I don't like small spaces, and that cell was so small, I couldn't even lay down…"

Lido looked horrified by the idea of that. "This part of the woods is protected, Marco. You may sleep outside beneath the stars if you like. He cannot cross the barrier. I will show you the safe areas."

"That sounds wonderful, actually," Marco admitted. "If I don't have to spend another minute trapped indoors for a while, I'll be very happy."

"I'll watch over you while you rest," Lido promised.

"I'll stay with you," Denni said quickly. "It'll be like camping…"

"You don't have to," Marco said just as quickly. "I'll be okay."

"Marco… You shouldn't have to be alone."

"I'm used to it, honestly. I grew up in a home for boys… An orphanage, essentially."

"You're not an orphan, though. You don't have to be alone anymore… And until we can introduce you to your father, I'll stay with you."

"His father?" Lido asked.

"Xander Bly… Another Power Ranger who probably has no idea his kid exists," Denni explained.

Lido frowned. "What is he plotting?" He asked.

"Who? Zell?"

"Yes. Why is he collecting the offspring of various Power Rangers? What is he after?"

"He said I come from flames… And I sort of believe him, because the way they touched me felt… Familiar," Marco said.

Lido stiffened. "The Flames… Denni, when Kira tested you, your result was purple… And as I said, it felt like you _were_ the Flames. Marco feels similar… What he says makes sense," he said.

"Maybe to you, but I'm a tad confused," Marco admitted.

"If you were born of a Power Ranger parents and the Flames somehow, it would explain the purple result… As well as the power levels you have displayed, Denni."

"Marco's powerful, too. He has Earth magic. He can make plants grow," Denni said.

"I can talk to them, too… I understand them," Marco said.

"Zell is creating children from the Flames… I did not think it was possible… But why aren't you evil?" Lido wondered.

"Should we be?" Marco asked.

"These flames are literally the Flames of Evil. One touch can rip away all the good a person possesses… Yet neither of you are evil."

"You mean… You don't think I have a mother?" Denni asked.

"I believe you and Marco were both born from the Flames, Denni," Lido replied. "What that means, however, is beyond my understanding."

"So let's figure it out tomorrow. Marco, you look like you haven't eaten in a while. Lido, do you have anything we can feed him?"

"Of course." Lido excused himself to gather whatever it was he intended to feed them.

"Denni… Are you okay?" Marco asked.

"Yeah… It's just… I had a mother, I think. I remember her less every day. And now, I'm not even sure if she existed at all. Everything I believed about myself is a lie," Denni said. "It's a lot to handle, but I think I'm okay. I just want to figure this all out."

"So… I guess we're sort of like siblings, right? If we both come from these flames?"

"I guess so… We're connected, that's for sure. Shayla couldn't get a clear visual of you, but as soon as I touched the image, it snapped into focus. And I could feel you… I knew I had to help you."

"I'm glad you did." He smiled at her. "And thanks for staying with me, Denni. I like to act like I'm totally fine, but I have to admit I'm pretty freaked out right now."

"Understandably." She squeezed his hand and it was comforting. "Look, whatever the hell's going on with all of this… You're not alone. We're in this together."

He smiled wider. "That's good enough for me," he said. Life might have just flipped completely upside-down, but he was out of the small cell and he had just discovered that there was still hope his father might care about him. Things were looking up.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **CALEB**_

He was sitting in history class when the sad-looking woman locked eyes with him. Caleb could tell she was a spirit immediately. She used her index finger to beckon him to follow her. He considered ignoring her, but she looked so desperate... Besides, spirits rarely went away when he ignored them.

"May I use the restroom?" Caleb politely asked his teacher. Since Caleb was never one to cause trouble, the teacher gave the pass to him.

Caleb quickly ducked into the hallway, following the woman as she rushed around the corner. She led him to a stairwell no one ever really used. Caleb sighed. _Of course,_ he thought. Still, he followed her. Someone might be in trouble, and he didn't get the feeling she was trying to hurt him.

"Um... Hi," Caleb said lamely once he was inside. "Did you need some help?"

"They're coming," the woman said urgently.

"Who is?" Caleb asked.

"It is unnatural... A perversion of life... To bring back such evil forces at the cost of innocent lives... First, the girl... His daughter... Then, the one who works with demons... _Vizu..._ Now... Now! He _must_ be stopped! If they return... All may be lost!"

"Okay... Try to focus. Who are you? "

"Marilyn... Marilyn Cranston."

Caleb was stunned. "You're Josh's mom?" He asked.

She smiled sadly for a moment, slightly calmer. "Josh... My sweet baby boy..."

"Josh is my friend. I want to help you, Mrs. Cranston, but I don't understand exactly what you're trying to tell me." He felt odd calling her Mrs. Cranston, considering he'd been at Kimberly and Billy's wedding, but he figured that was the most polite way to address her. "You mentioned Kat... And I assume the one working with _vizu_ was that Jaybert guy... But who else is he trying to bring back?"

"New Jersey... _New Jersey!_ The _monsters!"_ She was screaming now, back in her panic.

Caleb was more confused than ever. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. What does this have to do with New Jersey?"

"They _slaughtered_ them!" She was sobbing now and clutching her head. "She tried to warn me... The _vizu..._ The good one... I wrote it all down, but... But I didn't understand... And then, they _came_ for me... I didn't understand... But I remembered after I died... And now, they're here, and it's all coming true... _All_ of it... My baby... _Don't_ let them hurt my baby!"

"Josh is safe, Mrs. Cranston. He's got an army of protectors, and he's tough on his own."

"Everything is _not_ as it seems. He has traitors hiding amongst you."

"If you're talking about Dax, Nick, and..." He took a deep breath and tried again. "And Katie, we already know."

"No... There are _others._ Of course, some of his Alliance is not as loyal as they claim either. He'll discover that eventually... Nothing is as simple as it appears... Vitella! You _must_ warn Vitella!"

"I don't know who that is."

"Only she can restore order to the Rebellion... They have split between sides, and only she can unite them again. She _must_ return or the Rebels will destroy each other."

"Why do you want to help the Rebels?"

"Just as all others this battle has called forth, they have a part to play. It is vital that they do this."

Several new spirits suddenly appeared. Caleb was nervous now. Their energy was too much for him. One woman who looked like a warrior approached him. She was blue, as were the two men with her. "You _must_ alert them, Boy!" She ordered.

"Vianca is correct. He will slaughter them all!" One of the men said.

"Who are you?" Caleb asked nervously.

"Zikos, of the Rebellion of Eltar. Tactical expert of the New Jersey Chapter."

"Wait, there's a New Jersey Chapter? The Rebels call themselves the New York New Jersey Chapter."

"We were once two Chapters," the second man said sadly. "Caleb... You must listen to us."

Caleb studied him. "You say my name like you know me," he said.

"I am Rupi. I once, in my grief, sided with Zell against the Rangers and Chosen... Against my own Chapter. I am here to make things right. Please, Caleb... You _must_ warn Captain Smith. Tell him Rupi said they're coming back. He will understand."

"Who are they?" Caleb asked again.

"The ones who caused the Chapters to merge." His words sent a chill down Caleb's spine. He knew how serious this was now.

Caleb turned toward the two silent spirits. They gave off the vibe of a mother and daughter, and the girl was definitely a teenager. They weren't blue, but they felt a bit like Eltarians, too.

"Who are you?" Caleb asked gently.

"I am called Carolena," the older woman said. She had a bit of an accent and looked Hispanic. She pronounced her name "Cah-ro-lay-na."

"I'm Marie," the girl said. Unlike her mother, she had a subtle New York accent. She smiled at Caleb, clearly trying to put him at ease. "Tell my father what we said, Caleb. They are all in danger."

"Who's your father?" He asked.

"This is taking too long! It will be quicker to _show_ the boy," Zikos said.

"Zikos, _no!"_ Rupi protested, but before he could interfere, Zikos grabbed onto Caleb.

"It is necessary," he heard Vianca agree before she touched him, too. The combined energy of the two deceased Eltarians was too much for him. All of the heat drained from his body instantly. Three other Eltarians joined in, more spirits he hadn't seen. Caleb collapsed onto the floor, falling down what he assumed was a flight of steps. He knew he'd hit his head, but he couldn't react to that as the spirits continued to grab at him.

"Stop this! You'll kill the boy!" Carolena said in horror. "Jazov, R'Dian, Feygah, you _know_ this is not the way!"

"He must understand!" Zikos insisted.

Caleb couldn't breathe. All he could feel was death and agony. These Eltarians had been brutally slaughtered by three of their own. Caleb caught some facts even as he fell into darkness... The leader of the New Jersey Chapter had attempted a hostile take-over against Captain Smith, wanting to control both states. Captain Smith and Kizzie had been the only survivors... And Rupi and Tedius had stood against their leader's uprising with two others from their Chapter. The other two had been Vianca and Zikos. They'd died horrible deaths as they tried to do the right thing. They were good people, but unfortunately, they'd just pushed Caleb too far.

"He can't breathe!" Marie cried in horror.

"Find the boy help," Carolena said. "Everyone, release him this _instant!"_

He felt Marie leave. Then, a new voice said, "If we all release him, he will fall into the Underworld... He is too overwhelmed by our energy."

"Which is why none of you should have touched him, Feygah. Eltarian energy is too powerful, let alone the energy of so many at once," Carolena said. "Give the boy to me. Leave, _all_ of you."

"But Carolena-" Feygah protested.

"I can anchor the boy. Leave before even I cannot hold him here."

As the others released him, Caleb felt himself vanishing into the darkness. Carolena barely had a hold on him. "Stay with me, Caleb. Stay strong. Help is coming," she told him.

Caleb had a terrible feeling that it wouldn't be enough. His body began seizing violently and he stopped being able to think or process anything.

 _ **DORA**_

She was just minding her business in study hall when she saw the teenage girl staring at her. She looked alive at first, but her clothes were a pretty clear indication that she was either a spirit or she _seriously_ needed a new wardrobe.

"You can see me?" She asked. Dora nodded subtly. The spirit sighed with relief. "Come with me! Please! Caleb is in terrible danger."

Now she had Dora's full attention. "What's wrong with my cousin?" Dora asked.

"Too many spirits... He is losing the fight to stay out of the Underworld. Come. I'll show you where he is... It's the stairwell in the back of the building. No one will find him in time."

Dora grabbed her bookbag and ran from the room, ignoring the strange looks she received. She knew somehow that Caleb didn't have much time. She sent a quick text to Caius and Thorn as she ran that read simply, _Caleb. Back stairwell. Help._

When she arrived, it was worse than she'd feared. Caleb lay at the bottom of a flight of stairs. His flesh was too pale, and he was bleeding from his head. He wasn't moving now, but judging from the pool of blood near his head being smeared like something had been moving over it, she suspected he'd had a seizure.

"Get away from him, Bitch!" Dora snapped at the spirit who touched him now.

"I am grounding him," she argued. "He was overwhelmed by the others, but someone had to keep him here."

Dora realized she was trying to help. "Shit... This looks really bad..." Dora mumbled.

The door to the stairwell opened above them. "Caleb? Dora?" Thorn called.

"Down here!" Dora shouted.

He appeared with Caius right behind him. "Caleb... Oh God, what happened?" Thorn asked.

Caius tensed beside him. "There were too many spirits here... They feel Eltarian. The energy must have been too much," he said. He knelt beside his son before looking at the spirit still holding him.

"Release him, please," he said softly. "I cannot touch him until you do, or I may go along for the journey."

"Good luck," she said softly. "Tell my _Capitan_ we are with him still." With that, she vanished with the girl who'd brought Dora there.

"He's not breathing," Thorn said, his voice trembling. He immediately started performing CPR while Caius held his son's hand. Dora watched in horror, praying her cousin would be alright.

For too long, Caleb lay motionless. "He's so cold..." Dora said as she touched his arm. "I don't even know how long he's been down..."

"He's lost... He was plunged deep into the Underworld... The spirit who anchored him kept him from being destroyed by the overload of energy, but he can't find his way back because this is a part of the Underworld that's foreign to us both... I believe it mainly holds Eltarian spirits," Caius said softly.

"Mom... Please help him..." Thorn whispered. " _Please."_ He resumed CPR.

 _I cannot bring him back, my Tadpole,_ Casey said. Thorn was too upset to hear her, but Dora could hear her clearly. _I must not interfere in the journey of a Grant._

"That's bullshit!" Dora declared.

"What?" Thorn asked.

"Dora, she has rules she must follow," Caius said, but his own frustration was obvious to Dora.

"She's the one who _runs_ the Underworld! If she wants to break a rule, she can. Look at what happened with Zeke. She was attached to the kid, so she gave him the choice to return and sent him back. Why won't she help Caleb?" Dora demanded.

"Please understand that Caleb is very dear to me... He is like my son... But I cannot interfere," Casey said, showing herself now.

Thorn tensed. "Mom?" He whispered. "I feel you... I know you're here. Please, Mom... Please guide him back. He's lost, and I'm not a Shaman. I can't follow him... "

"My poor Tadpole..." Casey said as she sighed. "It pains my heart greatly to see you grieve..."

"Then _help_ my cousin!" Dora insisted. "I _know_ you can."

"The Grants are a unique case, Dora. I must not interfere." Casey was no longer manifested, but Dora knew she was still watching.

Thorn resumed CPR, desperately trying anything that might work. "Thorn... He is too wounded for that to be enough," Caius finally said gently. "The fall severely injured his head. We need a healer."

Thorn pulled out his phone, tears in his eyes, and typed a message. Dora read it as he hit send. All it said was _911._

Approximately thirty seconds later, Sage teleported into the stairwell. She took one look at Caleb and cursed. "He'll be okay," she promised her twin. Then, she started to heal him.

As Caius continued to hold Caleb's right hand, Thorn took his left. Dora stroked his hair, careful not to touch his injury as Sage worked on healing it.

"His head is healed... I need to go after him," Sage said.

"Mom said we can't interfere..." Thorn said softly. He was still crying.

"The Goddess of the Underworld doesn't get a say in this," Sage replied. "She's just our ancestor, and I'm stronger than she is."

"Sage..." Thorn's voice cracked with emotion. "Just be careful."

"I'll be okay," she promised him. "And I'll bring him back to you. Every single time." She hugged him before saying, "I need you to anchor me. Can you do that, or should I call Troy or Koda? Or maybe Zedd?"

"I can do it," Thorn promised. He took her hand. With her free one, Sage touched Caleb's chest. She instantly went into a trance.

"Do you think it'll work?" Dora asked.

"It's Sage," Thorn said firmly. "She doesn't know how to fail."

 _ **THORN**_

Sometimes, when Thorn anchored his twin, he could see exactly what she saw. This was one of those times. As Sage headed into the Underworld, Thorn could clearly see their mother. It was a shock, but the need to protect Sage kept him from losing his focus.

"You must not do this, Sage," their mother said firmly. "But I'm glad you're here. We need to talk."

"I'm not asking permission," Sage replied harshly. "Go away."

"Sage Park, you will _listen_ to me! Caleb is a Grant. He must make this journey himself, and you are _not_ stealing another soul from this Underworld!"

"He's not just a _soul._ This is _Caleb."_

"It doesn't matter. In this place, all souls are equal. Caleb is no more significant than any other soul in my domain."

Thorn felt like he'd been slapped. How could their mother _say_ that? _She's not Mom anymore,_ he thought.

"You can't just waltz in here and take a soul any time you feel the urge, Sage," she insisted. "I brought him here because I knew you would follow. It was the only way to bring you here, so I sent the Eltarians to deliver their message, but Caleb _must_ find his own way back."

Thorn was in shock. Had his mother just confessed to sending a bunch of spirits to overwhelm and possibly kill Caleb? She'd _known_ what would happen. How _could_ she?

Sage glared at her. "You are unbelievable! You'd hold Caleb hostage here just because you're pissed off that I resurrected Amareese? How petty can you be? Caleb is Thorn's soul mate, Mom! You saw what happened when he lost him for one day... What do you think will happen if he loses him for good?" Sage snapped.

"The Sorceress belongs here, Sage. You stole her, and a price must be paid," their mother said. "You must learn lessons which are difficult if you are ever to reach your true potential as a Shaman."

"Not today," Sage replied. She banished their mother with impressive power.

Thorn struggled to process what had just happened. Their mother had done something he'd never expected, and it broke something in him. She'd crossed an unthinkable line in using Caleb as a pawn in her war with Sage. He knew then that, no matter what happened, he could never fully trust her again.

Sage continued on her journey, deeper and deeper into the Underworld. She paused when she found a spirit she seemed to know. "Flekt," she said.

"Sage. The boy you seek is this way," Flekt replied. He pointed to the left.

"Thank you, Flekt," she said. She hurried in that direction and found Caleb almost immediately. He was surrounded by images of dead Eltarians. Some images contained flashes of a battle. Thorn recognized Captain Smith, Kizzie, and Tedius. Their grief was evident as they looked at dead loved ones.

"Caleb! Ground to me," Sage called to him.

Caleb was screaming as vision after vision overwhelmed him. "Sage? Where are you?" He shouted as he heard her voice.

"I'm here, Caleb. I'm with you. Just try to focus."

"I can't breathe..." He whispered, his fear obvious. That broke Thorn's heart because the first time Caleb had died, his throat had closed up as he struggled to breathe.

"It's okay, Caleb... You're going to be okay," Sage promised. She finally reached him and held onto him for dear life. "Let's go home."

They raced back through the Underworld until they reached the exit. With a start, Thorn's sight returned to his own body. Sage awoke with a slight gasp. Caleb was suddenly desperately gasping for breath and struggling to sit up.

"Have a nice nap?" Dora asked lightly, but her concern showed in her eyes.

"Caleb..." Caius said with relief. He pulled him into his arms. Caleb was trembling violently as Caius wrapped him in his jacket. Thorn pulled off the warm black sweater he wore over his white t-shirt and pulled it down over Caleb until he was wrapped in its warmth. As Caius tried to comfort Caleb, Thorn took a step back.

"Thank you," he said to Sage softly.

"No big," Sage said with a casual smile.

"I _heard_ her, Sage... I saw everything, and I know what she said... What she _did..."_ He hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry, Thorn. I know how close you were to her. I didn't want you to have to see what she's become."

"She gambled with his life... She knew he needed help... She knew the Eltarians would overwhelm him, and she _still_ sent them... And then refused to help him find his way back, just to try to back you into a corner so you'd go back to being her obedient daughter... Yes, Caleb has the power to return from the Underworld, but he was lost, and she... She used him as a bargaining chip. I can't forgive that... I just... I _can't."_ He had tears in his eyes.

"I know... Neither can I. Caleb's family. You don't do that to family, especially not when the fate of the world hangs on the Chosen being whole. If Caleb hadn't come back... I just can't believe she'd take that risk."

"I love you, Sis," Thorn said softly before releasing her. He pulled himself together. He knew he needed to be strong for Caleb.

As Thorn knelt beside Caleb, Caius moved back. "Sage... I cannot begin to express my appreciation," he said.

"It's Caleb," she said. "No one needs to thank me." She stood with him, and Thorn stopped paying attention to anyone except Caleb.

"Caleb... Thank God you're back..." He said softly.

Caleb looked at him with tears in his eyes. "They were so broken..." He whispered.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Thorn asked soothingly as he held his boyfriend.

"It was so senseless... They slaughtered their friends just for power... They murdered his wife and daughter... Brutally... And if he hadn't murdered the girl so quickly, he'd have done even worse to her... She was _sixteen,_ Thorn! And she died just because those monsters wanted power..."

"Who were they, Caleb?"

"New Jersey... They tried to overthrow New York... And nearly wiped out both Chapters."

"Wait... As in Captain Smith's Chapter?"

"Only two Rebels survived from each Chapter, so they unified them into one... I don't know how he did it... How could he go on after that?"

"Who? Captain Smith?"

"Yeah... It... It was his wife and daughter who died. They were the two who tried to save me today... Them, and Rupi... Captain Smith's wife, Carolena, anchored me while Marie, their daughter, ran for help. I guess that's how you guys ended up here. I can't remember that clearly."

"Marie found Dora, who texted me and Caius when she found you. I texted Sage after I realized how bad this was."

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you guys. Every time I think I'm getting the hang of this power, something tries to kill me."

"It's not your fault. This was deliberate."

"I don't think the spirits were trying to hurt me, Thorn. They just wanted me to warn the Rebels... But I got overwhelmed by their combined energy. Rupi tried to stop them before they touched me, but they were determined... And more showed up... And then I fell."

"They didn't hurt you on purpose... My mom did." He whispered the last part because it was too horrible to say aloud.

"What? Casey wouldn't hurt me, Thorn. She can't send me back, but she always tries to encourage me and help me figure out what I need to do to return."

"She's mad at Sage... And she knew Sage would go after you... My mother planned this." Thorn felt tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Caleb. First my aunt, now my mom... I just... I don't understand this."

Caleb suddenly seemed to forget his own pain and wiped away Thorn's tears with his thumbs. "Thorn... If there's one thing I know about your mom, it's that there is always a reason for her actions, even if they seem cruel to us. I don't blame you for _any_ of this, and I'm not mad at Casey. I'm sure she knew I'd find a way back eventually."

"That doesn't excuse her gambling with your life. How can you be so calm about this? Why aren't you furious with her?"

"Because, Thorn... She gave me _you,"_ Caleb said. "No matter what else she does, she's your mom, and I'm grateful she brought you into the world... Not to mention Sage, who has saved my life a number of times now. Your mom may be doing things that aren't so great, but she always believed in us, Thorn... So I believe in her. She's got a method to her madness, and she'd have found a way to help me if it came to that."

"Did I ever tell you you're absolutely perfect? Any other guy would run from my family's track record."

"Most guys would run from a boyfriend who randomly dies or goes into a coma every time a spirit gets too close to him. We're even." He pulled Thorn closer, snuggling into his arms. "Mmm... Warm..." He mumbled.

"I love you," Thorn whispered.

"I love you, too," Caleb said. "Just don't let me go."

"Never," Thorn promised. He kissed the top of Caleb's head before tightening his embrace.

 _ **LILY**_

She had spent most of their time in captivity trying to keep Fran calm. Her friend no longer seemed to be stuck in severe shock, but her depression was powerful and it broke Lily's heart. Lily tried to keep Fran focused on coming up with escape plans, but none of them were very practical given their current circumstances. There just weren't many options available to them.

"Casey and RJ will come for us," Lily promised Fran. "I know they will."

"If they survived…" Fran whispered.

"They survived," Lily said firmly. Any other option was unacceptable. Casey was like her brother, and RJ had been her rock since she'd lost Theo. They _had_ to be okay.

Suddenly, the woman Katherine had called Felina appeared in the cell. "Your presence has been requested," she said coldly.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Lily said.

"You don't have a choice."

"We'll see about that." Lily assumed a fighting stance, ready to do whatever was necessary to take this bitch down.

Felina sighed and moved with impossible speed, grabbing Fran by the throat. Fran let out a startled cry and Felina began to squeeze harder, until Fran couldn't make any noise at all. "I am not to cause you harm, Lily," she said. "Your friend, however, is insignificant. Katherine brought her on a whim. The Great Zell may want her for now, but I'm sure he won't really care if I dispose of her. Cooperate, or she perishes here and now."

"Don't fucking _touch_ her, you bitch!" Lily cried.

"Do as I say, Lily. It is your _only_ choice." She squeezed harder and Fran's eyes began to roll around unnaturally in her head. She was seconds from blacking out.

"Stop! Just… Just stop," Lily said. "Let her go. I'll go with you."

"Excellent choice." Felina released Fran, tossing her aside like trash.

"Lily… Don't…" Fran managed to get out. Her voice was hoarse.

"I'll be okay, Fran," Lily promised her. "Just stay here. I'll protect you."

Fran was crying as Felina grabbed Lily's arm roughly and dragged her from the cell. It slammed shut behind her, trapping Fran inside. They moved through the darkness until they reached a room that made Lily shudder. The evil radiated from inside in a way that was unlike anything Lily had ever felt before. Felina shoved her through the door before following her inside.

Lily was stunned to see several people in the room. Hunter and Riley looked at her with cold, dead eyes. Two others who seemed to be Power Rangers shared the expression. Katherine watched her with a creepy smile on her face. In the center of the room, Zell watched her curiously.

"Lily, my dear… It is so lovely to have you here," he said pleasantly.

"Go to Hell," she said sharply.

"I know you have suffered greatly, my dear girl… I feel your pain even as you try to hold it back. I can help you, Lily. I can ensure that you never feel that pain again."

"I'm not interested."

"You have such potential. I have seen what you will become, my dear, and you will be so stunning… So incredibly powerful and beautiful… I look forward to helping you embrace your destiny. Join me, Lily… Join my Rangers of the Flame… You shall be my most incredible creation yet."

"I'm not joining your club, Zell. You can forget that."

"My dear Lily… You do not understand your potential… You are weighed down by useless emotions, like love and grief… You can be so much more…"

"Love is _everything_ , Zell. That's why _you're_ so empty inside."

"Love is weakness… But I can relieve you of that weakness, my dear girl. You will understand soon."

"You don't get to decide my destiny. That's _my_ choice."

"Not anymore."

Before she could see it coming, flames shot up around Lily. She was trapped immediately. Still, she fought. "No," she said firmly. "This is not my path. I'm _not_ your puppet." Even as she felt her light being torn from her violently, Lily forced her mind to stay focused. _With the speed of the Cheetah… Jungle Fury Yellow…_ She recited to herself. _Remember, Lily. Remember the light. Remember the love… Remember Casey, and RJ, and Fran… And Dom… And… And Theo… Always…_

Anguish filled her heart as she thought of everyone she loved and everything she'd lost. She held onto it for dear life, clinging to the love in her heart until suddenly, even that was gone. She could no longer feel love or her usual grief. Instead, she felt only emptiness and pain… And rage.

She turned toward Zell as she thought of her friends. The power began to flow through her, and she embraced it, liking the darkness she was feeling. She was strong… Stronger than she'd expected to be… She looked at Zell and saw all of the Rangers who'd died in the big battle to save Tommy. She saw Dominic moments before he'd been crushed to death. She saw Jungle Karma Pizza burning around her. She saw RJ and Casey, hurt and possibly dead. And then, she flashed back to the bigger battle. She saw Theo, fatally wounded because King Mondo and Queen Machina had left him for dead. The Machine Empire had to be stopped. The Machine Empire, who had only been brought back to life because Zell helped Divatox revive them… And then, she saw Theo's face. She couldn't love him anymore. She would never be able to feel love again… So the grief she'd been feeling for so long was suddenly stripped down to the emotion she'd tried to repress and deny for all of this time. Anger. Rage. And it was all because of one man.

" _You_ …" Lily hissed.

"Lily, my dear… You are positively glowing with power! Emerge from the flames and join us," Zell said with a huge smile on his face.

"You did this… It was _all_ because of you! You are the reason I lost _everything!"_ She shouted.

Zell actually took a step back. That made Lily crack a smug smile as she realized he was nervous. "Lily… I know you are not used to feeling such rage. It looks good on you, though. You can put it to good use. Allow me to tell you who your targets are."

"You… Don't get… To tell me… _Shit,"_ Lily said firmly. Suddenly, she grabbed the sword that Hunter had at his side. She shoved it straight through Zell's chest before he could register what was happening. She stabbed him several more times, with a cheetah's speed, moving too swiftly for anyone to stop her.

"My Lord!" Felina cried in horror. She quickly tried to approach Lily, but Lily shoved her back with a wave of her hand. Apparently, she now had telekinesis. Felina hit the wall with a satisfying crack.

"Stop her!" Katherine cried in horror.

"Should I destroy her, Great Zell?" Hunter asked.

"No… No, stay back," Zell said weakly. "I shall survive, but none of you will if you cross her. She was meant to be the strongest of you."

Lily laughed as she said, "I _am_ the strongest of you."

"I don't understand… The flames should have turned her," Katherine said.

"Oh, they _did,"_ Lily informed her. "But that doesn't mean I'm joining your stupid club. I'm not your Goddamned puppet, Zell… And I promise you this… You're going to watch everything you consider yours _burn_." She snapped her fingers and teleported away from them. She was outside of the building now. "Fran…" She mumbled. "Shit. Oh well. She'll have to fend for herself for a bit… I'll come back for her when I can." She didn't care about Fran… Not the way she had, anyway… But Zell wanted to use her, and Lily was determined that Zell was never going to get anything he wanted ever again.

"So I'm evil now… Where am I supposed to go?" Lily wondered aloud. The answer came to her easily enough. "Onyx it is." With a nod, Lily teleported to Onyx. She immediately slaughtered the closest ten monsters. The surviving monsters stared at her in shock. "So, hi, I'm taking over your little planet. You can join me, or you can end up like your friends. Who's ready to answer to a new Mistress?" She asked casually.

Most of the monsters immediately sank to their hands and knees in submission. "Welcome, Mistress," one of the braver ones said. "We are at your service."

"Good. I'm…" She hesitated, deciding she didn't want to go by Lily. It was too flowery and pretty and _good._ That wasn't who she was anymore. "I am Mistress Cheetah. And we're about to have a _lot_ of fun together."


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

 _ **ZELL**_

He'd made a terrible mistake. Zell would typically never admit to such a thing, but this had been... _Unexpected._ Lily had indeed taken to being evil, just as he'd seen. The powers she'd been entrusted with suited her, but the last thing Zell had expected was for her glorious rage and hatred to be directed at him.

 _It's Zedd all over again,_ he thought. When he'd tricked Zedd into turning evil, Zedd had figured out too late that Zell was actually the cause of the vision he'd seen. As soon as he was free from the flames, he'd attacked Zell, and when Galaxia had shown up, he'd literally stabbed Zell in his back to send her a message that Zell couldn't be trusted. Although he'd believed Galaxia was still clueless to his true motives, she'd understood and warned the other Chosen. That had ultimately led to Zell's temporary demise.

Zell hadn't been able to control Zedd. He'd been destined to be the strongest of the Chosen, and turning him had been Zell's way of preventing that, but Zedd had simply become an unstoppable force of evil who absolutely despised Zell with everything he had. Now, it seemed, history was repeating itself with Lily.

 _She is not of Lord Xylon's line. She'll never gain the sort of power Zedd did,_ Zell told himself. Of course, he couldn't know that for sure. Xylon had been an incubus from a large and powerful family. His brothers reproduced often and there was no telling if, somewhere along the way, their offspring had crossed into Lily's family tree. He hadn't considered the possibility, so he'd never bothered to look into where Lily came from.

"You're nearly healed now," the Alchemist said as she continued patching up the many stab wounds Lily had given to him. She had ordered the others to leave so she could help him privately.

"Thank you, Eva Leigh," he said. "You have such a way with medicine..."

"You require energy to finish healing yourself. It is a pity your battery is no longer with us."

"Raffitty surprised me. I believed his will to survive to be too strong for him to leave us." He sighed. "Bring the child to me."

"The child?"

"Mora. She has had time to recover her energy. I shall drain her."

"Do you intend to kill her?"

"Not today. Mora is still of use to me... However, I need the energy only a child can possess to give me strength."

"Of course, Great Zell."

"Eva Leigh, my dear... How is Felina?"

The Alchemist paused. "You care?" She finally asked.

"Of _course_ I care. Felina is by far my most loyal Alliance member. She was injured while trying to protect me."

"She lives. Her head was gravely injured, and her spine took a fair amount of serious damage, but the Warlock is working on healing her with some of my potions." Zell knew the two Eltarians shared a psychic link and she was getting the update directly from him. "She is conscious. The first thing she did was try to find you, but the Warlock stopped her from trying to move. He knew it would only further damage her spine. She is calmer now, but still asking after you."

"After my energy returns, I will go to her. It will calm her to see for herself that I am well."

"I shall fetch Mora." The Alchemist left. She returned shortly after with a terrified Mora behind her.

"Great Zell?" Mora asked in a small, frightened voice. "Is... Is my punishment over?" He hadn't let her out of her room since she'd tried to help Kimberly escape.

"Mora, my dear... I require your assistance," Zell said.

"O-of course, Great Zell... Do you need me to make you a monster? I believe I am strong enough again."

"Indeed you are... Come here, my dear." He opened his arms to her.

Mora looked nervous and Zell realized she was smarter than he gave her credit for. Still, with the Alchemist blocking the exit, Mora really had no choice. She walked toward him. That was when Zell pulled her close to him.

The first thing he did was forcibly kiss the girl. It was the easiest way to gain quick access to her energy. Mora struggled against him, trying to pull away. She was deeply repulsed by anything as grown-up as kissing and he knew that. He didn't care. Mora was exceptionally powerful, and he needed access to that power. He deepened the kiss, hungry for her power. His hands naturally began to wander over her body.

" _Enough,"_ the Alchemist said. "She is a _child,_ Zell. You made your point. She is too frightened to dare fight you now. Surely a teenager or adult would be more gratifying to handle your sexual needs."

He was surprised by her reaction, but he knew she was right. Mora would be completely obedient now. "Of course. Forgive me, Mora... I am weak from an attack, and I require your energy."

Mora was in tears. She looked at him with terrified eyes and nodded. "Take it," she said with a shaking voice. "Just, _please,_ don't do that again."

"Of course, my dear." With that, Zell touched her forehead and stole all but the slightest piece of her life force. Mora collapsed on the floor and Zell felt significantly stronger.

"Eva Leigh, kindly put the girl back to bed," Zell said.

"Of course, Great Zell," the Alchemist replied. She picked Mora up, carrying her like a rag doll back to her bedroom.

Zell stood and walked to the room he knew the others were gathered in. Felina was in tears when she saw him. "My Lord..." She whispered.

Zell immediately went to her. He took her into his arms and comforted her. Although he was not the sort to randomly hug his minions, Felina currently reminded him of the terrified, broken six-year-old she'd been when he met her. He'd protected and comforted her then, and he did it again now. He'd _made_ Felina into the powerful warrior she'd become. He knew the scared, horribly abused little girl who still lurked deep beneath the surface. "I am well, Felina. The Alchemist repaired the damage," he told her.

"I tried to stop her, Great Zell... I... I tried to reach you," she said desperately.

"Hush, my dear. You did well. I appreciate you coming to my aid. Lily is far stronger than even I anticipated, and her betrayal was unexpected."

"I shall find a way to destroy her for you."

"No, my dear Felina. You are far too vital to me. I cannot risk your safety."

"I... I am?" She looked at him with sad eyes desperately seeking his approval... The eyes of the broken, unloved child he'd rescued.

"Of course, my dear. You are not like the others. You are important to me." He greatly valued her loyalty and her power, but he didn't specify that. It wasn't what she needed to hear, and he saw no harm in indulging her a bit with hints of affection. That always kept her calm and obedient.

Felina relaxed significantly in his arms then. "Allow me to finish healing you," he said. "The Warlock did well, but I need you ready to complete an assignment soon."

"Of course, my Lord..." Felina said eagerly.

He mended the last of the damage to her spine since her head was already healed. "Now... My Alliance... We must act quickly. The son of the Knight slipped through my fingers. I fear I must be cautious how I approach him now, but I _will_ get all of the children soon. Marco escaped with the help of Denni. The children simply do not understand who they are meant to be. They are young. They'll understand eventually. Still, there are three I have not retrieved yet. The youngest must stay where he is for now. I will send for him in time. The two remaining girls must be brought here urgently, before anyone else can get to them. Katherine, you know where the Lightspeed Ranger's daughter was left. You are to take Zizi and bring her here. There can be no room for errors. If you fail, there _will_ be consequences. This is far too important. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Father," Katherine said. She eyed Zizi and frowned. "I could do this alone."

"No," Zell said firmly. "I sense a great disturbance where she is. It's dangerous. You need Zizi with you on this. She has training in stealth. I do not want either of you to be noticed by the wrong people."

"I can get us in and out of any environment without an issue," Zizi promised.

"I know, my dear girl. You have already proven to be quite an asset to the Alliance."

"What about the other girl, Great Zell?" Hunter asked.

"Ah, yes. My Pink Legacy... Her situation is complex. Felina, I _only_ trust _you_ with this mission. I believe your skill set will be quite useful in liberating the girl."

"Of course, my Lord," Felina replied.

"Liberating?" Maya asked. "Is she in prison or something?"

"Prison would be simple. I'm afraid Kendrix's daughter has found herself locked away somewhere far worse," Zell replied cryptically.

"I shall retrieve her, Great Zell," Felina vowed.

He nodded. "Allow me to give you her location... Then, you three may go on your way. Rangers of the Flame, I must insist you remain here. I am seeking a new Blue Ranger for your team, but until then, I have others in mind to turn as well."

"You're going to turn someone else after how Lily reacted?" Damon asked with a frown. "That seems like a bad idea."

"It _is_ a bad idea," Maya agreed.

"Enough," Zell said, silencing them. "When I require your opinions, they shall be given to you. Do _not_ question me."

Maya and Damon immediately shrank. "We're sorry, Great Zell," Maya said quickly.

"We were just concerned that it could happen again," Damon added.

"Only one other entity reacted to the flames like that, and it was Zedd. It is an uncommon occurrence and will most likely not happen again. Trust that I know what I am doing."

"We do," they replied in unison.

"Good. Boom, Blast, take the Rangers of the Flame and help them train for a bit... Kindly refrain from blowing any of them up. We already lost Sydney, and Lily has gone rogue."

"Sure, that'll-" Boom began.

"Be so much-" Blast added.

"Fun!" They finished in unison.

Zell dismissed them and sent Katherine, Zizi, and Felina on their way. Bax watched him with a bored expression on his face. "Anything for me to do?" He asked.

"Not just yet, Baxzon. I'll have an assignment for you soon enough," Zell replied.

Bax shrugged. "Very well. I'll go find a way to occupy myself for a bit." He walked away and Zell knew he was off to wreak some sort of havoc. It didn't matter. He could let the boy have his fun, within reason. Zell had far more important things to concern himself with at the moment.

 _ **TAYLOR**_

He was trying to test his limits. He didn't risk doing it around the Chosen. If he accidentally hurt any of them, Taylor would never forgive himself. So he practiced alone, generally in the back yard, whenever he could. He misfired and felt some of the energy he'd gathered backfire and burn his hand.

"Ouch! Shit..." Taylor mumbled, shaking his hand in the air to shake off the excess energy. Winnie let out a concerned cry.

"You zigged," Tye said softly.

Taylor looked up in surprise. "What?" He asked.

"You've been moving the energy in zig-zag lines... You zigged when you should have zagged." She showed him what she meant by moving her hands the way he had been.

"You're right," he mumbled. "Thanks, Tye. What are you doing out here?"

Tye shrugged. "It _is_ my backyard, too," she reminded him with a sad smile.

"Of course it is... But you don't usually leave the inside of the house."

She looked up toward the sky. "It's a nice night."

"Are you okay, Sis?"

"Yes... But _you're_ not."

"Sure I am."

"Taylor... You miss him."

"Him who?"

"Josh."

"Why would I miss him? I just saw him at training earlier."

"And when's the last time you guys were alone?"

Taylor shrugged. "Josh gets busy. He gets tunnel vision when he works on stuff."

"That doesn't mean he should ignore you."

"He's _not_ ignoring me. He's just got a lot on his mind. We talked at training."

"Hello and goodbye don't count."

"It was more than that." Tye gave him a look that said she was basically calling bullshit. "I asked how he was doing and how his research was coming and he said everything was fine."

"Did he bother asking how _you_ were?"

Taylor sighed. "You don't get it, Tye. He just... He's dealing with a lot right now."

"He's being a jerk and you don't deserve that."

"I don't deserve _him._ So if he needs space once in a while, I'll give it to him."

"Stop putting yourself down," Tye said firmly. Winnie made a sound of agreement. "You _do_ deserve love, Taylor. More than anyone I know. And the way Josh is treating you isn't okay. Stop making excuses for him."

"When the heck did you become so chatty?"

"When my brother started hurting himself because he feels like he did something to make his boyfriend pull away from him."

Taylor looked down at his arms. His sleeves still covered the cuts he'd made earlier. "How the _hell_ did you know?" He asked in surprise.

"Taylor... I _always_ know when you're hurting." She wrapped him in a tight hug. "Please stop doing that to yourself... I love you. I don't like seeing you in pain."

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Tye... I really try not to do it anymore."

"I know. That's why I'm so worried by the fact that you did."

"It's just... Everything is out of control. I can't help Josh and he's barely talking to me. Rangers keep dying or getting turned evil... _Dustin_ broke, and that's _really_ scary... There are all these kids popping up that no one knew about, and... And despite the fact that Zell obviously made sure they existed for some evil plan or another, their parents... Their parents love them and accept them anyway."

Tye looked at him sympathetically. "I get it," she said softly. She paused, then waved her hand in front of them. A spiral of yellow light appeared in the air and surrounded them, wrapping them in its embrace.

"Tye, how did you do that?" Taylor asked in wonder.

"Campbell magic," she said shyly. "Since I only feed off of magic, either from you or Tia, and you both connect directly into powerful magical lines, my magic gets stronger every day."

"Is Tia teaching you?"

"No... I'm teaching myself. Before... When we were first born, _he_ tried to teach me some things. I picked it up quickly... But after... I acted like I lost the powers... I haven't told anyone else I have magic... I was too scared they'd try to use me for power."

Taylor knew " _he"_ was their father. He nodded. "Well, you know you can trust _me..._ Show me what you've learned."

Tye nodded and began moving her energy spiral around. It danced before Taylor's eyes, and the excited smile on Tye's face was refreshing to see. Taylor found himself smiling back at her. She created an arrow. It headed toward Taylor, which alarmed him a bit, but instead of pain, he felt a burst of energy as the arrow shot through him. It was an incredible power boost.

"Tye... This is really cool," he told her honestly.

Tye beamed at him, clearly pleased with herself. "I kind of wanted to show _someone,_ but..." She let the sentence trail off.

"Trust issues. I know. It's okay, Tye. We _all_ have them."

"I think Tessa has magic besides the succubus genes, but she's really scared of it."

"I'll get her to tell me. Tessa can't keep secrets from me."

"Don't push too hard. Tessa's still skittish."

"You're not exactly a social butterfly either, Sis," he reminded her gently.

"I'm trying, Taylor... Really. Nikki's been helpful... You were right about her. But I have a long way to go before I'll be able to handle most social settings."

"You've already come a long way. You actually have conversations now."

"With a few people..."

"You know, getting to know everyone might help."

"I can't... Kenny, especially. I can't face him after what I did to him."

"Tye... Kenny doesn't blame you. He's not mad. He's a great guy and I know he doesn't want you beating yourself up for it."

"He was waiting, Taylor... And I took that choice away from him just so I could steal his power coin."

"Look... If Thorn and Caleb can forgive _me,_ Kenny's not going to be mad at you."

" _I'm_ mad at me."

Taylor sighed. "Look... I hate myself for what I did, too... But it was about protecting our mother, and protecting you and Tessa... It was about survival. We didn't have a choice."

"I _did_ choose... I didn't hurt Zeke... And I paid for it..." She started trembling.

"Tye..." Taylor pulled her into a hug, pouring soothing energy into her and hoping it would help.

"Sorry," Tye said with a sigh. "I don't think I'll ever be the person I was before... I can't go back."

"Just be _you,_ Tye. That's good enough."

His phone began to ring. He hoped it would be Josh, but it wasn't. Taylor sighed before picking up. "Hey, Ollie. What's up?" He asked.

"Can you meet us in the park for an unplanned training session?" Ollie asked.

"Sure," Taylor said. "It's not like I have anything better to do."

"Are you okay?" Ollie asked with concern.

"Yeah... Just emo drama. You know me... I'll be there in a few, okay?" He hung up before Ollie could push him for a better answer.

"Chosen duty?" Tye asked.

"Yeah... Will you be okay? I could call him back-"

"No. You need to train. It will make you guys stronger and help you fight your enemy. I'll be fine," she promised. "Be safe, Taylor." She kissed his cheek before sending him on his way.

 _ **CALLIE**_

Life on Onyx was usually a little crazy, but the arrival of Mistress Cheetah had sent the planet into genuine chaos. Several monsters had tried to resist her rule. She'd slaughtered them with little effort. Most of those who remained were too terrified to cross her. Callie would have been in awe of Mistress Cheetah if not for one thing... She had done something Callie could not forgive.

Callie had grown up on Onyx. The day she was born, she'd been left inside of a bar on the planet of villains. A cloaked figure had left her there and no one knew who it had been. That could have proven disastrous. Children were often used as currency on Onyx, and they ended up eaten, slaughtered for sport, or sold into slavery. Some types of slavery were worse than others. Callie, however, had been lucky.

The owner of the bar was an Eltarian named Gwodizan. He'd been sentenced to death for High Treason after trying to assassinate the Mayor. Gwodizan had staged a botched escape that seemed to result in his death. After that, he'd moved to Onyx to start a new life. He kept his head down, providing a neutral space for the other inhabitants of the planet. Gwodizan was no joke and everyone knew he'd slaughter them if they broke the rules of the space.

Gwodizan had killed the monsters fighting over the abandoned baby in his bar and claimed her for himself. No one dared to argue. He decided to raise Callie as a warrior and a sidekick of sorts. She was meant to be his heir, as he had no children of his own. He protected her until she was old enough to do it herself, and he tried to be as nurturing as a force of evil could be. He'd proven he genuinely cared for her when Mistress Cheetah had arrived on Onyx and begun slaughtering the nearest monsters she could find. Gwodizan had jumped in front of Callie, shielding her with his body, and it had cost him his life.

 _She'll pay,_ Callie vowed. _I will destroy her in_ every _possible way. The bitch will regret the day she decided to take over_ my _home! And only then will I grant her the mercy of death._

"Oh, my... There's more carnage here than usual," a woman with an accent said.

"What the hell _happened_ here?" Another girl asked. "This is Gwod's place, but I can't feel him..."

"You know the bar owner?"

"Sure. Best place to get a drink on Onyx. Besides, he's Eltarian. There aren't many of us who visit Onyx."

"Who the hell are you?" Callie snapped as she jumped from the shadows and pressed a blade to each of their throats.

The one with the accent cursed. The other remained calm. "It's Callie, right?" She asked. "I'm a friend of Gwod's... Zizi, daughter of Zydia of Eltar. This is Katherine, daughter of the Great Wizard of Eltar."

Callie lowered her weapons. "What do you want?" She demanded.

"Well, a drink would be nice, to start. Is Gwodizan here?"

"He's dead," Callie said coldly.

"Dead? Damnit! I left the kid with the owner," Katherine said.

" _You_ left the baby here?" Callie asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. My father was certain the bar owner would protect her until it was time to retrieve her."

"Oh, he _did_ protect her," Callie said. "She grew up to be quite the warrior."

"Well, where _is_ she?"

"Katherine... _She's_ the kid," Zizi said. "Obviously." She shook her head. "Gwod was good people. He got a raw deal on Eltar. How'd he die?"

"The new villain in town... Mistress Cheetah," Callie explained. "She showed up yesterday and started slaughtering monsters at random so she could prove she was in charge or whatever. She's strong. None of them stood a chance."

"Lily!" Katherine and Zizi said in unison.

"That must be the danger my father detected," Katherine added.

"Lily?" Callie repeated.

"Yesterday, a former Power Ranger turned evil. Her name was Lily. She gained an enormous amount of power and attacked our leader and arguably his strongest follower," Zizi explained. "Then, she fled... And it appears she came here."

"I'm going to stop her... I'll make her pay for what she's done," Callie vowed.

"Callie, come with us," Katherine said. "My father was there the day you were born. He has any answers you may seek, and he can help make you stronger by unlocking your true potential. If you come with us, you'll gain enough control of your powers that you may be able to destroy her."

Callie hesitated. "Why should I trust you?" She asked.

"Are you telling me you trust the people _here?"_ Zizi asked gently. "Callie... Gwod loved you, and he was my friend. I promise, I will protect you. Besides... Earth can't be any worse than _this_ place, right? What have you got to lose?"

Callie sighed. Zizi was right about that. "Okay, fine," she said. "I'll go with you as long as I get to slaughter that bitch."

"It's a deal," Zizi said. She shook Callie's hand. Magic sparked between them. Callie stared at her, suddenly unsure of why she felt so familiar. "I feel as though I know you," she said.

"I was around a lot when you were growing up, but we never officially met," Zizi said. "I guess you saw me around."

"You say your father was there when I was born," Callie said to Katherine. "Where are my parents?"

"Your mother was a Power Ranger named Kelsey. She was part of a team called Lightspeed Rescue. She died recently. Your father, however, is more complicated... You were born from a magical fire, Callie," Katherine explained. "And my father controls the flames. There were six of you. He had to hide you throughout the time line to protect you, but the time has come for you to come home."

Callie looked around at the empty bar. Onyx had been her home for her entire life, but without Gwodizan, it no longer felt that way. "Home..." She repeated. She sighed, then grabbed Gwodizan's favorite sword. Zolo, the immortal Hell Cat Gwodizan had raised from the time she was a kitten suddenly came toward them. She rubbed her head against Callie's leg and let out a timid meow. Callie looked from Zolo to Zizi and Katherine. "Can I bring my cat?" She asked. It seemed only right that Callie take care of Zolo now that Gwodizan was gone.

Katherine stared at Zolo in confusion. Zizi bent down and scratched Zolo behind her ears. Zolo purred. "Of course you can," Zizi said kindly.

"My father might object," Katherine said with a frown.

"Zolo's an Eltarian _hezkan._ Basically, a Hell Cat. She might look like a poor defenseless little kitty, but she can transform into a large demonic animal who can slaughter enemies at a simple command. Trust me, Great Zell will be pleased we brought her with us," Zizi insisted.

Katherine eyed the cat skeptically. "I _hate_ cats..." She mumbled.

"Your _nickname_ was Kat, wasn't it?" Zizi asked.

"That was before Father awakened me... When I suffered under the delusion that I was a force of Good." She said this with disgust. "Besides... I spent a good chunk of time as a cat when Rita enslaved me. I associate them with the weak creature I used to be."

"Cats are the best. You're just bitter," Zizi said.

"The cat comes or I stay," Callie said firmly.

"Ugh. _Fine,"_ Katherine said. "Just hurry up and grab anything else you need so we can get out of here."

Callie summoned her personal bag of weapons and armor. "Let's go," she said, scooping Zolo up in her arms. She followed Katherine and Zizi away from the only home she knew toward a new beginning.

 _ **LILY/MISTRESS CHEETAH**_

She was enjoying having minions fawn all over her. She could certainly understand why the bad guys kept them around. They might be idiots, but sometimes, it was nice having toy soldiers to order around.

"Mistress Cheetah... Minion Six said. "Your tea, as requested." He knelt and bowed his head humbly before he handed the cup to her.

She tasted it, then nodded with approval. "Excellent work, Minion Six," she said indulgently. "You may rise, and leave with your life."

Minion Six stood, blushing. "She knows my name!" He said with a grin.

"She gave you a _number,_ not a name, you blithering imbecile," another minion said. He didn't have a number yet.

"I do not believe we've met," Mistress Cheetah said.

"We have not. I am Xanti, sole surviving brother of Lord Xylon."

"Xylon... Zedd's father?" She asked with mild interest.

"Indeed, Lord Zedd is my nephew. I have not seen the boy in centuries. He banished me here after discovering I still lived."

"Why did he banish you?"

"I was his youngest uncle, but no less a threat to him than the others. After he overthrew my brother, I plotted to seek revenge. I'd tortured him as a boy and would be _damned_ if I let him be in charge now... But just as I was prepared to destroy him, the ungrateful brat drained me of all my power and banished me here. He could have killed me, but he preferred to let me live with the knowledge that he had stolen everything from me without so much as breaking a sweat. I was Xylon's favorite brother... I could have ruled his empire, but Zedd made sure it would never happen."

"He's good now, you know. That empire is up for grabs."

"I am aware. Mistress Cheetah... I sense something in your energy. Do you understand why the minions drool all over themselves trying to please you?"

"Because I'm powerful? Or maybe because they want to live?"

"Yes to both, but there is more. You are a succubus. The minions are drawn to the power. I suspect it was dormant until very recently, but it is gloriously awake now. The power you possess could only come from the strongest of lines... I believe you are my descendant. Your human blood previously diluted your succubus genetics, but whatever freed you restored you to your fullest potential."

"Wait... So Zedd is my cousin?" She laughed.

"Three or four times removed, but yes."

"Amazing. So, tell me, Xanti... Why do you stand before me now?"

"You should know your true potential, Mistress Cheetah. I'd like to help guide you."

"I don't need you to guide me... No offense, but I don't trust anyone."

"A wise decision on Onyx. I would like to serve you, Mistress."

"Then serve me. On your _knees,_ Xanti, until I say otherwise."

To her amusement, he knelt. He bowed his head and said, "You are a beautiful credit to my line. I am honored to serve thee, Mistress Cheetah."

She laughed again. "You may stand, Xanti. Since you have a blood tie to me, you can serve as a magical adviser of sorts, but _never_ forget which of us is in charge here."

"Of course, my Lady."

"Good. Now, to begin my plans..."

"What plans, Mistress?" He paused, a devious smile creeping across his face. "Is it a plot to conquer the Earth?"

Mistress Cheetah rolled her eyes. "Taking over the Earth is _tired,"_ she said. "Literally _every_ villain tries it and no one ever succeeds. No, I have a _better_ idea... We are going to conquer _Eltar."_

He stared at her in disbelief. "Eltar? Zordon would slaughter us in a second, Mistress!"

"Actually, he _won't,"_ she replied cheerfully. "You see, I used to be a Power Ranger until Zordon's _father_ shoved me into the Flames of Evil and awakened the power lurking within me. I refused to be that bastard's puppet, so I attacked him before I came here."

" _The Great Wizard?_ " He asked in shock. "You attacked him and _survived?"_

"Yeah. So?"

Xanti stared at her in awe. "Incredible... You are truly the most extraordinary being I have ever encountered."

She grinned. "I _know,_ right? The dumb bastard didn't see _that_ coming!" She laughed again before turning serious. "My point is, Zordon won't attack me, Xanti. He will blame himself for what his father did, and no matter the risk, he'll try to save me. He'll do everything in his power to try to bring back _Lily..._ But he can't. Lily is dead, and has been since long before Zell got his hands on me."

Surprisingly, Xanti seemed to understand. "What did the Great Wizard do to you?" He asked.

"He took _everything_ from me... My husband, my future, my destiny... So when he stole my light, too, I decided to find a _new_ destiny... And I _like_ this one. I'm going to take _everything_ Zell considers to be his and _destroy_ it. Starting with Eltar, the world _he_ lost control of."

"It's poetic, really. You _do_ know he'll try to destroy us for this, correct?"

"He can try... But he won't succeed. We _will_ have an army of Eltarians enslaved to follow our orders, and we _will_ rise up and ultimately take over the entire universe... Including Earth."

"My Lady, you _are_ a force to be reckoned with... I shall stand proudly by your side in this war."

"Good, because we're going to win. Come on... Let's start gathering my minions so we can plan out every piece of this. We will do this the intelligent way and leave no room for errors."

"Most villains simply launch attacks..."

"I'm not most villains. That's why we're going to _win."_ She smiled at him before leading him on the search for worthy foot soldiers.

 _ **LUCY**_

She had gotten used to her unusual family dynamic, even if "family" was still a strange concept for Lucy. She kind of liked her brothers. Ollie had rescued her from the hell she'd grown up in, and she'd always be grateful to him for that. He also tried really hard not to push her to be anyone except who she was. He never made her call the woman who'd given birth to her and died before Lucy could meet her "mom." He accepted that, to Lucy, Becky was a stranger and always would be. He'd also been the first to tell her that it was okay if she didn't like their father, Jason. He never made her feel bad about it.

Robby was a ball of evil cuteness and he greatly amused Lucy because, like her, he had no filter and was always honest. She treated Robby as her very mischievous sidekick most of the time. Vinny was extremely quiet and possibly more traumatized than Lucy was because watching Becky die had broken him so thoroughly, but he was sweet and kind, and he was younger than her. She felt affection for him because he never stressed her out.

Luke was her twin. They'd hit a rough patch early on, but now she was close to him. He literally completed her, and he understood her in ways the others couldn't. They got together often and practiced magic, something Lucy still hesitated to use at times. Before Ollie had rescued her, she would get tortured for using magic, even by accident.

Maddie was the only sister she knew of, and she wasn't so bad. They didn't see each other much, but when they did, it was fun. Maddie never stressed Lucy out. After all, she was an outsider in the family, too. She kind of understood why it was so hard for Lucy to accept the family that kept shoving themselves at her.

Lucy was slowly starting to sort of tolerate Jason. She considered him a big dummy, but she believed he meant well. They were very slowly starting to understand each other, but Lucy still didn't want to live with him. She didn't belong there.

No, Lucy belonged with Sellie. Initially, the lawyer had taken her in on a temporary basis to get her away from the Scott men, who were all driving her nuts. She'd actually admitted to Billy, her tutor, that she would rather be in foster care than stay with Jason. Billy had asked her to consider other options, and Sellie had stepped up to help her.

The "Avenging Attorney" was not a typical lawyer. Sellie wore jeans and nerdy t-shirts, kept her hair in pigtails, and was a proud geek. She was funny and she never pushed Lucy, so they'd gotten along great. One day, Lucy had slipped and called Sellie "Mom." The word had never meant much to her since she'd never had one, but it felt like that's what Sellie was to her. She took care of her, protected her fiercely, and made her laugh. She tucked her in at night and held her while she slept if she had bad dreams. She was everything Lucy had come to understand a mother was supposed to be. She'd been scared Sellie would get mad, but Sellie had hugged her and promised it was okay if she called her that. Lucy had taken to calling her "Mama Sellie" after that, or just "Mom" if she was especially upset.

A few weeks earlier, Lucy had asked Sellie if she'd consider legally adopting her so she could _really_ be her mom. Sellie had seemed touched by the request. She had talked to Jason and he'd agreed that it was for the best. He'd started to understand that being with Sellie was better for her. Lucy was grateful he hadn't tried to fight her on this, although she knew Sellie would have won. Sellie _never_ lost. It would be official soon enough, and Lucy Scott would finally become Lucy Klein.

"You okay, Luce?" Luke asked.

"I'm good. Just distracted," Lucy replied with an apologetic grin. "What should we do next?"

"Watch _Thor: Ragnarok_ with Sellie?" Luke suggested with a laugh.

Sellie had the movie on while she worked on some paperwork. She had her hands full trying to get legal custody of Denni to Conner. She had also been told by Denni that she'd most likely have a second case to handle as another Ranger found out he had a kid. Luckily, there was no need for Sellie to handle Sir Ivan's son. The Prince of Zandar had promised to handle all of that as soon as he could get in touch with the people of Zandar. It was amusing to Lucy that Sellie had come to Angel Grove just to help Liza with her legal situation but had ended up staying, first to help the other Campbell children, then to help Rocky with little Lilly, and ultimately to help _all_ of the kids in bad or complicated situations. In the end, Sellie had decided to stay in Angel Grove as the unofficial lawyer for the Power Rangers. Lucy was grateful she had stayed.

"Okay... A break might be nice," Lucy agreed. She sat beside Sellie on the couch, curling up and resting her head on Sellie's shoulder. Luke sat on Lucy's other side.

 _Valkyrie_ had just captured _Thor_ when Lucy sensed something. It seemed that Luke and Sellie did, too, because they tensed. "Lucy... Take Luke and go to your room. Luke, seal the door," Sellie said.

"We're _not_ leaving you," the twins said in unison. They didn't do that often, but when they did, it made Lucy smile. It was nice to be so in sync with someone, and it was happening more and more frequently as the twins spent time together. She appreciated knowing Luke was with her on this one.

"I'll be fine. _Go,"_ Sellie insisted.

"Come with us," Luke said. "I can keep us safe."

"Luke, I appreciate that, but if I'm with you, whoever is here will just attack your energy until they can get through to us. Trust me, that's what their plan is. I'll hold them off. Call Sage and have her bring help. I can handle them for a few minutes."

"Mama Sellie..." Lucy tried to argue.

Sellie hugged her tightly. "Protect each other. I love you. Go. Please," she said.

The door burst open, knocking all of them back. "Run!" Sellie told the twins.

The man and woman who stood in the living room radiated power and darkness. Lucy was still trying to get back on her feet as Sellie addressed them. "You know, it's awfully _rude_ to turn up unannounced," she said. "You could at _least_ introduce yourselves."

"I am the Alchemist," the woman replied coldly. "This is the Warlock. I assume you have heard of us."

Sellie crinkled her face as if thinking about this. "Nope, doesn't ring any bells," she lied. "Then again, Zell has so _many_ minions. Who can keep track, right?"

 _She's trying to make them mad so they focus on her,_ Lucy realized.

The Alchemist and the Warlock surrounded Sellie, ignoring the twins. "We have to help her," Lucy said softly as Luke helped her to her feet.

"Hey! Assholes!" Luke called, trying to distract the intruders.

"The twins..." The Warlock said.

"Ignore them," the Alchemist replied. "You know his plan. He does not want us to approach them unless necessary. This one must be captured. She is tied to many and will be an asset as a hostage."

Suddenly, Lucy understood what was happening. These people weren't after the twins. "They're after _Sellie,"_ she whispered aloud in horror.

"Not on _our_ watch," Luke said. He tried to fling magic at them. Lucy followed his lead.

The Alchemist sighed in annoyance. "Go on. Do what you must," she told the Warlock.

He tried to cast a spell, but a dagger flew through the air at his head. He barely ducked out of the way in time. No one had touched the dagger.

"Luke? Did _you_ do that?" Lucy asked in confusion.

"No... You?" Luke replied.

"I don't think so..."

Suddenly, the couch launched itself at the Alchemist. It knocked her to the floor and landed on top of her. A basketball hit the Warlock in the head, causing him to clutch it in pain.

Sellie waved her hand and the Warlock flew into a wall. Luke and Lucy stared at her in shock. "Sellie has _powers?!"_ Luke asked.

"I didn't know about them," Lucy said.

"Guys, _go!_ Call for help!" Sellie said urgently.

They might have listened but the Alchemist suddenly appeared behind Sellie like she hadn't just been squished by a couch and put a blade to her throat.

" _Mom!"_ Lucy screamed. She was panicking. The only parent she recognized was about to be ripped away from her. The lights began flickering and sparking as Lucy freaked out.

The Alchemist and Warlock vanished with Sellie in their clutches. "No!" Lucy screamed.

"Come on," Luke said, grabbing Lucy's hand.

"Huh?" Lucy asked between tears.

"I'll open the door to wherever they went and we'll follow them."

They got through the door in seconds. Sellie was trying to defend herself as the Alchemist dragged her through the pocket realm. The Warlock seemed to be leading the way. "He didn't say _anything_ about the lawyer having powers," the Alchemist was mumbling. She turned to Sellie. "You were meant to be an ordinary human... Regardless, here we are. Telekinesis and telepathy seem to be your talents, correct? You tried to get into our minds."

"That's not _all_ I can do," Sellie said.

"You've locked off another talent, correct? I believe the teleportation ability is latent... Hmmm... That combination is familiar."

"She's a Tomorrow Person," the Warlock provided. "We have encountered their kind before, in the realm most of them are from." He paused. "She does not often use her gifts. That may be why the Great Wizard did not know."

"Stay out of my head, Warlock... Or you won't like what happens," Sellie said sharply. "You two are hiding a secret... A _big_ one... And even if I can't pull it out of your heads, I know someone who can. Someone who, by the way, won't be happy you kidnapped me. Actually, I know a _few_ someones who'll take offense to this and will be happy to tear your minds to shreds as they look for answers."

"Who's she talking about?" Luke asked softly. They were still hidden from view and were far enough away that they wouldn't be overheard.

"Stephen, for one... Her boyfriend. He's the leader of the Tomorrow People, but Sellie never told me _she_ was one of them... He comes by to see her sometimes. He's a nice guy. Then there are the wrestlers who owe her favors... Some of them are really powerful telepaths," Lucy explained. Technically, Sellie was the best lawyer the WWE had, but she hated working for the very corrupt McMahon family and had been slowly doing less and less for them, refusing to do more than telecommute once she settled down in Angel Grove. When her contract was up, she'd already decided she was done. She wanted to focus on helping abused kids, although she'd probably still help out her friends on the indy wrestling circuit when they needed it.

"Do you think any of them can help?" Luke asked.

"Stephen's really powerful and can manipulate time... Not like Zell, but he can freeze it or slow it down. It doesn't affect other Tomorrow People, but it does affect everyone else... But Sellie might get mad if we call him. He's tough, but he's younger than her, and she's protective of him," Lucy replied.

" _How_ young?" Luke asked.

"Not _creepy_ young or anything. He was eighteen or nineteen when they met... I think he's in his early twenties now. But with all the craziness he's been through, he grew up fast." Lucy paused. "If Sellie wanted him here, she'd have called him. When she lets him, he can hear her thoughts no matter how far apart they are."

The Alchemist suddenly threw a potion at Sellie's feet. It knocked her out instantly. Lucy was about to scream, but Luke covered her mouth. "She's breathing," he pointed out. "She's okay." He let her go after Lucy nodded to indicate she understood. She knew they had to keep their distance for as long as possible, but it was hard. She was terrified for Sellie. What was going to happen now?

 _ **THE WARLOCK**_

"We can't risk making errors here," The Alchemist said firmly. "She is too important. If we end up having to harm her, that will complicate things."

"Eva... The time is coming," the Warlock said.

"I know, Maizon... And we _will_ be ready."

"He is coming to rely on the spy too heavily. How does he not see her true intentions?"

"His own arrogance betrays him and makes him foolish, and Zizanyah excels at what she does. Zydia trained her well. And soon enough, I suspect Laby will show himself. He will be planning to betray him as well, but he won't see it coming. Now, more than ever, we must remain guarded."

"Mora is going to go rogue if he continues to push her. The girl is frightened, but not foolish."

"It would serve him right. After all she did to save him..." She shook her head. "He has not changed, Maizon. He still prefers young, vulnerable girls."

"Eva..." He paused, putting a gentle hand on her arm.

"I'm okay," she replied. "Just furious. Mora may not be an actual child, but she has both the mindset and the physical form of one. When we agreed to provide her a sanctuary so they could lay low as Zell recovered, it was _not_ so that bastard could add her to his forced harem."

"He has Felina. You would think that would be enough. She's loyal, experienced, and eager to please him, and she has such striking beauty. Why go for a little girl?"

"He desires to manipulate and control those around him. He finds powerful children appealing because it gives him a thrill to make them submit to his will. It has _always_ been that way... Serafine... Daphne... Felina... There were many over the years."

He nodded, knowing what she wasn't saying. He squeezed her hand before pausing. "Alchemist... We are not alone," he said.

She turned around and cursed as they both spotted the twins. "Kill them," she said. "It's the only way." She drew her weapon and summoned the Golden Army.

The girl raised a shield, protecting them from the soldiers. The Alchemist frowned. "They're too strong," she mumbled. "I'll need to try another approach."

"Alchemist... Go," the Warlock said. "Take the lawyer to the Base. I shall be right behind you."

She didn't fight him, taking the unconscious Sellie but leaving behind the army. "Children... Your determination is admirable... However, I cannot allow you to escape." He began casting a spell which created an intricate series of interlocking pocket realms behind them. The girl's shield trapped them there until the portal to the realms sucked them in. No matter what door the boy opened now, they'd still be stuck. The Warlock knew the children would be lost, and it would be impossible for them to escape. Satisfied, he continued on his way back to the Base.

 _ **FRAN**_

She was terrified. Where had Felina taken Lily? Was she okay? Was she still alive? A million horrible scenarios ran through her mind. What never occurred to her, however, was that her own safety might be an issue. Fran was too busy worrying about everyone she cared about.

The door to the cell opened. Fran was hoping to see Lily. Instead, a man came in. He smirked at her and she knew instantly he wasn't trustworthy. "Fran, right? I'm Bax," he said charmingly.

"Where's Lily?" Fran found the courage to ask.

"Never mind that. I'm here to get to know _you."_ He got too close to her.

Fran backed up. She kept doing that as he continued to move closer, until her back was against the wall. "Get away from me," she said firmly.

"Come now, don't be like that. I'm bored. You and I are going to have some fun."

"Get a hobby, Pal. I'm not interested."

Bax slapped her hard across the face. "Shut _up,_ Bitch," he said harshly.

Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. Fran wasn't much of a fighter, but Dom had tried to teach her a couple of moves. She debated trying them, but as he pinned her hands above her head, panic overwhelmed her. Then, she was hit with grief. Finally, anger won out.

"No. _You_ don't get to touch me," she said firmly, stomping hard on his foot like Dom had taught her.

Bax cursed. "You're going to _regret_ that," he informed her. He slammed her against the wall. Fran felt her head hit it. Before she could react, he threw her onto the floor. He was on top of her in seconds, tearing at her clothes. Fran kept struggling, trying to free herself. Finally, he stopped to pull out a blade. He cut her arm and said, "You're going to obey me now, Bitch." He continued to pin her with his body as he began to cast a spell.

Suddenly, he was ripped off of her by an invisible force. He hit the wall and cried out in pain. Fran looked up to see who had saved her, expecting to see Lily or maybe a telekinetic Power Ranger. Instead, someone else stood in the doorway.

She placed an unconscious woman on the ground before glaring at Bax. "That is _not_ why this woman is here, Baxzon," she said harshly.

"Mind your business, Alchemist," Bax replied. "This doesn't concern you."

The Alchemist pulled out a golden sword so swiftly it seemed impossible. Fran wondered where she'd pulled it from as she pressed the tip of the blade against Bax's throat. A small drop of blood came out. "She is the Great Zell's prisoner, not your sex toy. If I catch you in here again, I shall _destroy_ you. Are we clear?"

He gulped, which made another drop of blood escape. "We're clear," he managed to say.

"Good. Be gone from here." She lowered her sword. Bax ran from the room.

"Thank you..." Fran whispered.

The Alchemist looked vaguely surprised. "Do not mistake this act for kindness, Human," she replied coldly after a moment.

"Fran..." She said with an awkward smile. "I'm Fran."

The Alchemist looked at her like she had six heads. Finally, she pulled out a cloth and touched it to Fran's mouth. "You're bleeding... Fran." She wiped the blood from Fran's mouth. Then she touched Fran's torn shirt. It began to mend itself, stitched back together with golden thread. She stopped the bleeding on Fran's arm as well.

"I really _do_ appreciate what you did," Fran said. "Before we were taken, they... They killed the man I love." Her chest ached, but she _needed_ to keep talking. Right now, this woman was the closest thing Fran had to someone she could trust in this place, and talking to her normalized the situation. "I don't want anyone else to... To do that with me... My heart and my body are Dom's."

The Alchemist watched her like she was trying to understand why she kept talking to her. Finally, she waved her hand. A tray of food appeared. "Eat. You'll need your strength."

Fran nodded. "Alchemist... Where is Lily?" She asked after taking a couple of bites. The food was unlike any Fran had ever seen, so she figured it was Eltarian, but it was actually pretty good and she was starving. She'd kill for a slice of RJ's pizza right about then.

The Alchemist looked like she was going to ignore her, but then she said simply, "She lives." With that, she left the cell, locking the door behind her.

Fran ate a little more until she heard the unconscious woman groan. "Damnit..." The woman said.

Fran got closer to her and recognized her as she spotted her long brown pigtails, glasses, and _Groot_ t-shirt. "Sellie?" She asked in surprise. Sellie had been one of the only other "civilians" involved in the big battle. She'd protected the kids, keeping the ones too little to battle with her while everyone else raced to save Tommy.

"Fran... You're alive," Sellie said as she sat up.

"Yeah... So, judging from your reaction, you guys know what happened at Jungle Karma Pizza... They took Lily. The Alchemist told me she's alive, but that's all I know... And the last I saw everyone else, they were trapped and the restaurant was burning..." She struggled not to panic.

Sellie put a comforting hand on Fran's arm. "RJ and Casey are safe. They're in Angel Grove."

Fran started to cry with relief. She flung her arms around Sellie, who held her. "I was so scared we'd lost them, too..."

"I'm so sorry about Dom, Fran. He was a great guy."

Fran nodded, taking comfort in Sellie's arms as her grief hit her again. Sellie didn't say anything until Fran finally pulled away, calmer.

"Well, _this_ sucks," Sellie said. "I might have to cave and call in a friend of mine... Or several. I don't want to involve them in a fight against Zell, but I have to get us out of here."

"What friends? The Rangers?"

"No. He's expecting them. I might have to call in Michael... He can open portals, and he's a telepath. But I don't want to risk him... He's got a creature to protect... And I know that by now, Randy and Colby probably know what happened, which means Dean and Joe know, but I don't want them to get involved... Colby and Randy have a psychic link to a parallel life of Andie's. If he hurts them, he'll get to her. It's too dangerous... Joe's still recovering... And Dean... Well, I couldn't stop him even if I _wanted_ to, but I'd rather he stay safe, too."

Fran had no idea who Sellie was talking about. "Who are these people?" She asked. "And why does one have a _creature?"_

Sellie laughed. "Michael's raising a kid he calls his creature. She's no ordinary child. I helped him get custody of her, even though I was her father's lawyer. It's a long story. Anyway, all of the people I mentioned are wrestlers. They're from my other life, so to speak. And I know they're going to want to help... But they're used to battling Chaos and the McMahons... Zell is another category, and other than Randy and Colby, Dean's the only one who kind of has some idea about what he's really like. He's friends with Sage because he was close to her mom."

"So, if they can't help us, who can?"

"Stephen might be able to, but I'm afraid to risk him... If I could get word to Sophie, she'd be our best option. She's stolen people away from Zell's minions before, and she might stand the best chance of getting us away from Zell himself. I know she fried Felina when she tried to save Logan."

"Logan?"

"At the time, he was part of the Eltarian Rebellion, but he's actually human. The Rebels kidnapped him when he was a teenager with amnesia. Sophie tried to help him, but his programming made him go back to them. He's fine now, though. He's part of the newest Ranger team."

Sellie was rambling a bit, but Fran was grateful for the conversation. Besides, she'd passed time with Lily by plotting their escape, so this was familiar. "So, is there a way we can contact Sophie?"

"I'm not sure yet... But hopefully," Sellie replied. "So, what happens here? Do they just leave us alone or what?"

"Mostly… The Alchemist left me food… Would you like some? I didn't eat all of it. I can't identify it, but it's not bad."

"I'm good right now, but thanks. I guess they don't want us starving to death? Takes all the fun out of torturing us, right?"

"The Alchemist saved me… This guy, Bax… he tried to…" She stared at her shoes. "Anyway, she stopped him. She took care of an injury I had, and then she fed me… I don't know… I mean, she's supposed to be one of the bad guys, but it seemed like she wanted to help me."

"She's _definitely_ one of the bad guys. Evil radiates off of her and her buddy the Warlock… But there's something they're hiding… I couldn't pull it out of their heads, but some of the friends I mentioned earlier would be able to get it with some effort. My telepathy's not what it should be… I don't let myself use it much."

"You have supernatural powers, Sellie?"

"A couple… But I prefer not to use them. They're more trouble than they're worth about ninety percent of the time."

"No wonder you're so good with all of the crazy stuff the Power Rangers deal with."

Sellie laughed. "Honey, I work for the McMahons. Supernatural drama and bullshit has been a core part of my job for a _long_ time. You have _no_ idea the sort of weird shit I've seen working with professional wrestlers. I learned to accept things without questioning whether or not they should be possible a while back."

"I wish _I_ had super powers… Then maybe I would have been able to do more than scream and faint when we were attacked…"

"You _do_ have a super power, Fran… Your heart is incredibly strong and pure. That's part of what makes you valuable to an asshole like Zell. You're also brilliant, and that's nothing to sneeze at. Intelligence is hard to come by sometimes."

Fran smiled at Sellie's kind words. "Thanks… But it might be nice to have the ability to, like, turn bad guys to dust with a snap of my fingers or something."

Sellie laughed. "I'm going to call you _Franos,"_ she decided. "Like _Thanos_ , but smarter."

Fran started laughing, too. That was a strange sensation. Dom was dead. Jungle Karma Pizza was destroyed. Lily was in trouble, and Fran was kidnapped and stuck in a cell where some creep had just tried to violate her… But that comment had been funny, and it made things almost seem _normal_ for a minute. It was an incredibly nice relief to laugh for just a little while. Should she feel bad about it? She wasn't sure, but she knew she needed the outlet.

Sitting together, Fran and Sellie found comfort in each other's company while they tried to figure out a plan that might actually work.

 _ **XANDER**_

He was standing in the woods waiting to find out why Kira had summoned him there. She appeared a few minutes after he arrived with the boy who'd turned out to be Sir Ivan's son, Edmund. He smiled at them both. "G'Day, Kira… Edmund. What can I do for you?" He asked.

"Xander… We need to talk," Kira said with a sigh.

"Is something wrong? You look stressed."

"Well, for one, my boyfriend's freaking out and the only thing I could really do for him was recall Cam and Blake to Angel Grove, which could backfire because it puts them where Zell can easily find them… But I had to. Besides, we need them. They know Hunter better than anyone, and since it seems like Hunter took Syd's place as the leader of the evil Rangers, we need all the help we can get dealing with him. But that's not why you're here, Xander."

"So, what's going on then?"

"You know how Edmund here is Sir Ivan's son? And how Denni is Conner's? Well… There's at least one other kid we found out about."

Xander nodded, following her. "Okay. Are we going on a rescue mission? Is he or she okay? Did you need my help finding them?"

Kira shook her head. "Why do the guys always need it spelled out for them?" She asked.

"Wait… Kira, what are you getting at?"

"Okay, there's no time to be gentle. Xander, you have a son. Zell had his hands on the kid and locked him a small cell, which was pretty cruel because he's apparently severely claustrophobic… Denni somehow found out about him and rescued him… He has Earth magic just like you, and it's time you met. Congrats. You're a father."

Xander blinked at her for a minute. "I… I have a… A son?" He repeated.

"Yeah. So, come on and introduce yourself like you love doing."

He nodded numbly. Then, he asked, "Is he alright?"

"He's traumatized… He's only fourteen, even younger than Denni. But staying here in the woods with her and Lido seems to have helped calm him down."

"Right… Let's go," he said with determination.

They walked closer to the hut and found Lido and Denni outside with a handsome young man who Xander knew must be his son. He took a deep breath. "Hey, Kid… Get over here," Kira called.

Denni brought the boy closer to them. Xander stared at the boy in wonder. He was about to introduce himself when the boy said, "G'Day… I'm Marco." He flashed them a smile Xander recognized. He knew he didn't need a DNA test to prove who this boy was to him.

"The name's Xander," he said, finding his voice. "And, um… Apparently I'm… Well… I'm your father, Marco."

Marco looked a little nervous, but he nodded. "Nice to finally meet you… Dad?"

"Dad, yeah… We'll go with that, I guess…" He gave Marco a reassuring smile and said, "I always wanted kids… I just figured I'd be there for their entire lives… So, we've missed enough time… Let's get some quality time in! Fancy a trip to the zoo or something? Or… Music! Do you like music? I love music… I work at a record store… I could get us concert tickets or… Something. Do you have any hobbies? I-"

"Xander!" Kira said, putting her hand on his arm to get his attention. "You're rambling. Breathe."

"Right. Sorry…"

"Wow," Edmund said. "And I thought meeting Sir Ivan was awkward…"

"I guess it was easier with Conner because we already knew each other," Denni added. She was laughing slightly at Xander's reaction to Marco.

"It's okay," Marco said quickly. "And I do like music… All kinds, really… As far as hobbies, I like being outdoors." He paused. "Look… You didn't know about me, right? You don't have to cram a lifetime of memories into a day, but hanging out together sounds great…"

"Great! Have you eaten today? I can take you out for lunch," Xander offered.

"Lunch would be a nice start," Marco agreed.

"Okay, before you guys run off… Denni, Marco… This is Edmund," Kira said. "He belongs to Sir Ivan, from the Dino Charge team. He's from Zandar, and Zell went after him _personally,_ so we have reason to believe he's high on Zell's list. I think it's important you guys all look out for each other."

"We will," Denni promised. "We're sort of like siblings, in a way… Zell told Marco he was born from the Flames, and Lido thinks I was, too. I'm guessing _all_ of us only have one physical parent." She extended her hand toward Edmund and shook it. "Welcome to the madness, Edmund."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Edmund said.

"Great to meet you, Mate," Marco added, also shaking his hand.

"Alright, Marco… Go on with Xander. You guys should get to know each other," Kira said. "Lido, do you mind if I stick around for a bit so Denni and Edmund can spend some time together?"

"That is fine," Lido said. "I have to gather some herbs anyway. I'll leave you to it." He walked away.

"Not the friendliest fellow, is he?" Xander remarked.

"He's been through a lot," Kira reminded him. "Go on, Xander… Good luck."

"Thanks," He said. He gave her a hug before putting a friendly hand on Marco's shoulder and guiding him away.

 _ **SHARON**_

She was staring at the ceiling. There wasn't much else to do in her room in the hospital, especially when she was restrained to the bed. Sharon spent a lot of her time heavily sedated, but today, she was more coherent. She hadn't had an incident in two weeks, so they'd finally allowed her to remain conscious. If she managed not to cause any trouble, she'd be allowed to get out of the bed and actually move around a little bit until the next time… Because, no matter what she did, there was _always_ a next time. She just wanted to grab a book and read. At least that killed the time, and Sharon loved reading. Fiction, non-fiction, whatever she could get her hands on, she'd read it. The doctors said she was highly intelligent, and because of it, they often gave her new material to read.

Sharon had been a legal ward of St. Dymphna's Psychiatric Hospital since the age of ten. From the moment she was born, Sharon had been different. Her parents had found her abandoned on the streets of a small town in the Irish countryside. They'd taken the infant into their home and raised her as their own after being unable to find her family. Although Sharon's mother had been loving and wonderful, her father had never fully warmed up to her. When she was seven, the "gifts" she'd been born with had reached a new peak and she'd accidentally sent a blast of energy at her mother during a sneezing fit due to a pollen allergy. Her mother had been thrown into a car and had died on impact. Her father had witnessed the events and blamed Sharon, deeming her a witch. Still, he'd brought her home, and they'd buried her beloved mother.

That was when the abuse had begun. Her father had always been emotionally abusive, but he began beating Sharon if she used her gifts or if anything bad happened that he could somehow blame on her. Most of it had nothing to do with her, but that didn't matter. Soon enough, he'd decided to make Sharon into his new wife, forcing her to cook, clean the house, and satisfy needs she'd had no business satisfying as a child. When she was ten, Sharon had been driven to her breaking point. Her father was convinced she was evil, and he used this to justify what he was doing to her. Sharon finally proved him right when she stared at him, begging whatever force in the universe might be listening to her to kill him so he'd stop hurting her. His heart had exploded in his chest.

The superstitious neighbors in their small town decided Sharon really _was_ a witch. No one would take her in, and the authorities soon convinced her to confess to killing her parents. They decided she was severely mentally ill because she insisted she had powers, and they locked her away in the psychiatric hospital, never to see the light of day again.

Sharon's doctors still swore she was having "episodes" whenever her powers manifested. No one believed she really had them, so she must be suffering from a severe psychiatric condition. They kept her heavily medicated, and sedated her whenever things happened that she could not explain. She had gotten used to it, and after nine years in this place, she had accepted that this was her fate. She longed for companions and attached herself to the few doctors who showed her the slightest bit of kindness and the patients around her.

Her door opened slowly. Sharon was expecting one of the usual nurses or attendants to come and check on her, but she didn't recognize the woman before her. "Restraints? How barbaric…" The woman mumbled. She removed them quickly as Sharon watched her in confusion.

"Are you a new doctor?" Sharon asked nervously as she sat up. She grabbed her glasses from the table beside her bed and looked at the woman now that she could see clearly. Her features were striking and dark and Sharon was sure she'd never seen her before but she was oddly familiar to her.

"I'm not a doctor, Sharon," the woman said. "My name is Felina, and I'm here to help you."

"Help me… Right. So, if you're not a doctor, what's your job?"

"I don't work here. I used certain talents to talk my way in here and get past security. I have come to free you from this prison, dear."

"But… I belong here… Felina. I'm sick."

"Why do you think that?"

"I believe I have magical powers… But that's madness."

"It's not madness, Sharon."

"Please don't mock me. I know I'm mentally ill… And it makes me do horrible things…" She stared at the floor, ashamed. "I killed my parents… My mother was an accident, but my father… He kept hurting me… Doing things I don't like to talk about… Because I'm evil, or at least, that's what he said… And I had to stop him… I didn't mean to, but I couldn't take it anymore…" She felt tears in her eyes.

Felina seemed to soften. She put her index finger on Sharon's chin and tilted her face up until she was looking into her eyes. She looked at her, first with sympathy, and then with determination. "You are not mad, Sharon. You have incredible, beautiful gifts."

"Magic isn't real."

"Isn't it?" Felina waved her hand and suddenly, she held fire in her hand. It began to dance as Sharon watched it in shock, taking the form of a woman. Felina then said something in a strange language and things began appearing out of thin air… Sharon's room was transformed into a tropical rainforest, complete with a waterfall. It began to rain, but she didn't get wet. Lightning flashed around them, but hit nothing.

"Am I hallucinating?" Sharon asked softly.

"No, Sharon. You're not hallucinating, and you're not insane. I promise, I can explain everything. I know where you come from. I can bring you to people who will cherish your gifts and help you."

"Why would you take me in? No one wants me… They're all afraid of me because of what I did."

"The monster who raised you was not worthy of the life he possessed, Sharon. You did what you had to in order to survive. Monsters like that do not deserve to be mourned. I can take you somewhere so much better than this place. You deserve that peace, my girl. Please, allow me to help you."

There was something in Felina's eyes that told Sharon she understood her in ways she wasn't saying. "Okay," she said after a moment. "I'll go with you."

Felina smiled at her. "Stand at my side, Sharon. You are stronger than you think, and I will help you find that strength again."

Sharon nodded and took Felina's hand. She felt safe with her, even though she knew Felina was powerful and could hurt her if she wanted to. For the first time in her life, she felt understood, and that was incredibly comforting. As Felina opened up some sort of portal before her eyes, Sharon clung to her like a small child, knowing she'd be safe as long as she held on tight. She took a deep breath as they began to walk through the portal, leaving the hospital behind.

 _ **OLLIE**_

He was with the Chosen when his phone began to ring. Seeing it was his father, he picked up. "Hey, Dad. What's up?" He asked.

"Is Luke with you?" His father asked.

"No, I'm training with the Chosen… Why?" Ollie asked.

"He was supposed to come home a little while ago… I left him with Lucy and Sellie earlier. He's not picking up his phone, and you know that's not like Luke. And Sellie's not picking up, either."

Ollie had a terrible feeling. "I'll shadow travel to Sellie's and see what's up. Meet me there."

"Maybe you shouldn't go alone, Ollie."

"I'll be fine. It's the fastest way to get there. Just have the Alphas teleport you."

"Alright. Be careful, Ol. I'll be right there."

Ollie hung up. "What's wrong?" Tammy asked knowingly.

"I'm not sure yet… Luke didn't go home on time and Dad can't get him or Sellie on the phone… He's worried, so I'm going to go check it out," Ollie replied.

"Want me to go with you?"

"You should stay and train. I'm sure it's nothing."

"You're a shitty liar, Ollie. You're worried. Let me help. Luke's family."

He finally nodded. "Okay." He turned to the rest of the Chosen. "Something came up, Guys. I need to go for a bit, and Tammy's coming with me."

"Is everything okay?" Taylor asked.

"Luke's MIA… Hopefully it's nothing and Dad's just being paranoid."

"We can help you look for him if you want," Angie offered.

"Yeah… If something did happen, you might need us," Brian added.

"They're right. It's better if we stay together," Caleb said. Although he was still weak from an encounter with a bunch of dead Eltarians he wasn't saying much about, he seemed to be doing better now.

"Guys, really, it's fine," Ollie insisted.

"Ollie… You should accept our help on this," Tia said respectfully.

He sighed. "Okay, okay, fine. You guys can come, too. Let's go." He was about to shadow travel when Tia opened a portal. "Right. That's easier than trying to move all of you myself. Thanks, Tia."

"Of course," she replied.

They arrived at the apartment and found the door partially open. The Chosen exchanged worried glances before his father teleported in. "You brought the team?" He asked.

"They insisted," Ollie explained.

"Be careful, Kids," he said.

"Guys… I feel magic here," Angie said. "A lot of it."

"I sense it, too," Tia admitted.

Ollie took a deep breath before opening the door the rest of the way. The apartment showed signs of a struggle, but Sellie, Lucy, and Luke were nowhere to be seen. "Damnit… Where _are_ they?" Ollie asked.

"Someone opened a portal out of here," Tia said. "I can feel the energy lurking over here…" She walked to the source. "Yes, the people who attacked went through here with Sellie." She looked horrified. Sellie had done a lot for the Campbell siblings.

"And the kids?" His father asked.

"They did not use this portal," Tia said.

"Jason…" Angie said softly.

He looked at her. "What is it, Angie?" He asked.

"Luke opens doors. If the kids saw Sellie get kidnapped, they'd never stand back and let it happen. They probably followed them."

"She's right, Dad," Ollie said. "Lucy considers Sellie to be her mom. There's no way in hell she'd just let someone take her away."

"Damnit… This is bad. They could be _anywhere_ … Tia, can you figure out where the portal led?" His father asked.

"I can reopen it," Tia said. "That's dangerous, because we don't know where it will take us, but they're children. The risk does not matter in this case. Luke and Lucy need us… And I would like to help Sellie if I can."

"Let's go," Tammy said with determination.

"Guys… This could be really dangerous. I can't ask you to risk your lives," his father said firmly.

"You're not asking, Jason. We're volunteering," Taylor pointed out. "And considering Sellie's involved in this, Tia, Angie, and I aren't going to take no for an answer."

"He's right. Besides, this is part of our job, right? We're supposed to stop Zell. We can't hide forever in the safety of the training center," Angie said.

"Lucy and Luke are only twelve. I'd help even if they weren't related to Ollie," Caleb added.

"I love a good battle," Brian chimed in. He summoned his sword to prove he was serious. It burst into flames before settling down to a gentle orange glow.

"They're stubborn," Ollie said with a laugh.

"I see that," his father said with a sad smile. "Okay, Kids. Let's do this. Tia… Open the portal, please."

Tia nodded, opening the portal after a moment. Without hesitating, the Chosen and Ollie's father stepped through. It didn't take long to realize they were alone. "No one's here," Brian said.

"They went through another portal," Tia said. "But not all of them… I sense… A different portal… The twins…" She frowned.

" _Where_ are my brother and sister?" Ollie asked.

"I believe it was the Alchemist and Warlock who took Sellie… And the Warlock creates portals and pocket realms… The children… They are trapped in an endless loop of such realms…" She paused. "They are lost, Ollie. And because these are no ordinary portals, I cannot just follow them. If we went through the original portal, we would also become lost."

"We can't just leave them there," his father said.

"No… But we need magic I do not possess… A way to make sense of these labyrinths. Perhaps Lido's bond with Zuzu would help… I am not certain." She sighed. "I am sorry. I wish I had better news to offer."

"It's not your fault, Tia," Angie said. "Do you know where Sellie is?"

"Unfortunately, I believe the last portal they used goes straight to Zell's base. If we go through, we will become trapped there, too. We need a better plan," Tia replied.

"We'll find one," Taylor said.

"I could go through the shadows and find them," Ollie said. "I know I can't do that for Sellie because if I end up at Zell's base, he'll know I'm there and trap me… But maybe I can get to my siblings."

"It's too dangerous, Ol," his father said sadly. "We need to come up with a plan so everyone stays safe."

"Dad, they're lost… We can't just leave them there."

"We won't. We just need to take a little time to figure out how to get them back."

"He's right, Ollie," Tammy said. "Running in blind is pointless. Besides, I think they're safe. If the Warlock was just trying to get rid of them so they could get away with Sellie, the twins probably aren't in immediate danger. They might be scared, but they're tough kids, and they have each other. They'll be okay."

Ollie sighed. "Okay… We'll go back and we'll figure out a new plan." He was worried sick, but he knew that the others were right. Getting himself lost or trapped wouldn't do anyone any good.

Tammy slid her hand into his, comforting him instantly. He was grateful she was there, or he might have lost it. Luke was the brother he was closest to. He'd been through a lot lately, but the kid always tried to hold everyone else together despite his own issues. Ollie couldn't stand the thought of anything bad happening to him, and Lucy was his baby sister. They'd only just gotten her back. He wasn't willing to lose her again. Somehow, they'd figure this out and find the twins… Ollie just prayed they managed to do it before Zell found them first.

 _ **KENDALL**_

The Dino Charge team had made their way to Angel Grove together. The reunion had been a bit tense, but soon their concern for Riley had chased away the awkwardness. They put everything else aside to search for their teammate. Chase had even apologized to Tyler for not listening to him. Zenowing was furious he'd been ordered to come to Earth, but Keeper had convinced him it was for the best, and he cooperated, too.

It was late, but Kendall couldn't sleep. She needed to get some air, and she stepped outside of the house they'd been set up in. She took several deep breaths and tried to calm her mind. James was dead. So was Shelby, and even if Kendall had greatly disliked the girl, it was still a source of pain for her team. That mattered to her. Now, Riley had been turned evil. Sweet, dorky, gentle Riley… Kendall actually liked Riley, and she was horrified that he'd been stolen away from Amber Beach and she and Tyler hadn't even noticed he was missing at first.

Suddenly, she felt eyes on her. Kendall was nervous. She was about to run back into the house when someone appeared in front of her. "Miss Morgan…" Riley called to her.

"Riley?" Kendall asked.

"I had to run away… To warn you… He's after the team, Miss Morgan," Riley said urgently.

"He turned you," Kendall said cautiously. "I know you're under his control, Riley."

"I'm fighting it… As best I can… I still care about the team, even if I can't feel it the way I did… Please, Miss Morgan… You have to listen to me. He's going to kill you guys."

Kendall thought about what he was saying. It was true that when Zell turned people by force, they tended to have some small piece of themselves that they clung to. Riley could be telling the truth. Maybe his love for his team was strong enough. After all, Zedd had warned the Chosen of Zell's betrayal after he was turned… But Zedd had willingly given up his light. That was different.

"Let me get the others, Riley… We can help you. Sage can reverse the effects of Zell's spell," she said.

"No, Miss Morgan, there's no time! Please… He has my brother. He'll kill him, just to get control of me…"

Kendall froze. Riley was extremely close to his big brother. Zell _would_ do that sort of thing… But he could still be lying. "Riley, we'll help you. I promise. But you have to let me get the oth-"

"He has Tyler's mom, too."

Now, Kendall didn't know what to do. It hadn't occurred to them when they left for Angel Grove that Zell might target their families… But that was _exactly_ the sort of thing he'd think to do if he wanted to manipulate them into giving themselves up to him. Tyler had already lost his father, which had broken him… And he'd still been a good leader and fought until the end of the battle to make sure they accomplished their mission with as few losses as possible… Then, Shelby had sent him a text ensuring he'd be the one to find her after she killed herself. The poor boy had turned up on Kendall's doorstep in the middle of the night hysterical. She'd been unable to do much more than hold him as he cried. She couldn't let anything happen to his mother. Tyler had always been so upbeat and positive and happy… She refused to let him face any more pain.

"Okay," she said. "Tell me what to do and I'll do it."

"Come closer. Please. The property is warded and I can't get onto it because of the magic."

She nodded, slowly approaching him. There wasn't much he could do to her out here, even if this was a trap. "Where is Zell keeping them?" She asked him.

"At home," Riley said with a laugh. "Gotcha."

Kendall stepped backward toward the safety of the house, but someone popped up behind her and she slammed into their chest. "Not so fast, Kendall," he said.

"Hunter," she said as she recognized his voice.

A woman laughed and said, "Yay! Let's get out of here."

"Not yet, Maya," Hunter said. "We're doing this here before she can get away. She's smart. We can't risk her finding a way out of this."

" _Here_? Her team's in the house a few feet away," another person pointed out.

"They're asleep, Damon," Riley said. "We made sure their dinner was drugged, except for Miss Morgan's."

Kendall cursed. "Of course… I _thought_ they fell asleep awfully fast," she mumbled. She stared at the evil Rangers defiantly. "If you think I'm just going to let you kill me, you're wrong."

"Kill you? Oh, come on, Miss Morgan… We'd _never_ waste a mind as brilliant as yours," Riley said.

Kendall felt sick as she realized what they must be planning. Death would have been better. "No," she said. "I won't give in to that."

"I said the same thing. We're all wrong in the end… But you'll like it. I promise."

"It's kind of fun doing this with them sleeping so close," Maya said with a laugh. "Like one huge 'fuck you' to the Power Rangers."

"She's right," Damon said. "Great Zell's got big balls to do it this way."

"He's not afraid of those pathetic Power Rangers," Hunter said. "They're nothing compared to him."

Suddenly, flames sprang up. Kendall saw Zell appear from the shadows. "Hello, my dear," he greeted her.

Kendall swallowed nervously. "You won't get away with this," she said firmly.

"Don't worry, my dear. You're going to be a wonderful addition to the Rangers of the Flame." Zell smiled at her.

Kendall struggled and broke free of Hunter's grasp. She tried to run. She nearly made it, but that was when someone grabbed her from behind and flung her into the fire. She looked up in horror and realized Riley was grinning at her, making it pretty clear he was the one who'd done it. The incredible feeling of betrayal was overwhelming enough, but the pain of having her light ripped from her was worse. She screamed in agony as she tried to fight it, but she knew it was a losing battle. After a few minutes, it stopped hurting, and she suddenly felt incredible.

"Amazing…" She whispered.

Zell smiled again. "Emerge, my dear," he said.

She stepped out of the flames and examined herself as they vanished. "It doesn't burn," she commented.

"Not in the traditional sense, no," Zell agreed. "How do you feel?"

"I feel… _Incredible_ ," she admitted. "Like there is nothing holding me back anymore."

"Excellent. Rangers of the Flame, welcome your newest teammate… The Purple Flame Ranger."

"Yeah!" Maya cheered. "It's great to have another girl on the team again."

"Welcome aboard, Miss Morgan," Riley said pleasantly. "Do you forgive me?"

She laughed. "Forgiveness is for the weak… However, considering you freed me, I suppose I can tolerate your betrayal." She offered him a cold, calculating smile.

"She's perfect," Hunter said with a grin.

"This definitely went better than last time," Damon agreed.

"Do you prefer your formal title, my dear?" Zell asked. "I know your name is Kendall, but I also realize nearly everyone called you Miss Morgan in your previous life."

"Miss Morgan is fine," Kendall replied. "And what do I call you? Master?"

"Great Zell will do," he said with a smile. "Come, Miss Morgan. Let us bring you home."

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _As mentioned in_ Legacy Rangers, _Sellie's actually an OC from my wrestling fanfic account, and I do have a series of fics that are supernatural in nature that she's part of, which is why she knows all these wrestlers with supernatural powers. As for_ The Tomorrow People, _it's an awesome series that was sadly cancelled after one season. It's on Netflix if you're curious. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Sorry it took me a little while to get it finished. I know this fic has been a lot of building up and bringing in more and more characters, but I promise it's all going to come together and build to something huge. As always, thanks for the support! See you soon!_


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

 _ **CALLIE**_

When she'd arrived on Earth, Zizi and Katherine had set her up in her room. It was reasonably large and very comfortable. She was told to rest and that she could meet the Great Zell later. She hadn't been able to sleep at first, but then the Alchemist had appeared. Callie knew the Alchemist and the Warlock. Neither was shy about visiting Onyx for ingredients, and no one dared cross them. Their reputation was too infamous. Even Gwodizan had not dared to get on their bad side. Luckily, they had seemingly respected him enough that they never caused trouble in the bar.

The Alchemist had offered Callie a brew she'd made. It had calmed her enough that she was finally able to fall asleep. She woke up with Zolo curled up beside her, which was comforting. The bathroom attached to her room was fully stocked with supplies. The strawberry-scented bath products were quite different from what Callie was used to on Onyx, and the shower she took was much more luxurious than she'd ever known showering could be. She'd never eaten or even seen a strawberry before, but they apparently smelled amazing.

She was about to leave the bathroom when the second door to the room opened. It connected to another bedroom, and a girl with pale skin turned bright pink as she realized Callie was already in the bathroom.

"Oh! I'm so sorry... I didn't know anyone was in here," she said, awkwardly staring at her feet.

"It's fine. I was done anyway," Callie replied. She studied the girl. Her long blonde hair was pulled into a very messy ponytail. Her glasses were slightly crooked, and she watched the girl nervously adjust them. On Onyx, this girl would have been easy prey for anyone. Since she was clearly no threat to her, Callie decided to be nice. "I'm Callie."

The girl smiled awkwardly, oddly excited that Callie had continued to address her. "Oh! I'm Sharon. It's very nice to meet you, Callie. Is that your room over there? I guess we're neighbors."

"Yeah, I guess so... Have you been here long?" Callie asked, wondering what the nervous girl was doing in a place like this.

"I'm not sure... Felina gave me something to cleanse my system of all the medication and I passed out... My head's much clearer now, though."

"Felina? The Eltarian Sorceress?"

"I... I guess? I didn't ask her a lot of questions, but she does have magic..."

Callie nodded. "Felina's powerful. My guardian knew her before he fled to Onyx. They were in the Rebellion together. He mentioned her often."

"Rebellion?" Sharon asked.

Callie shook her head. "Sharon... Why are you here? You don't seem to be involved in any of this."

"Felina took me from St. Dymphna's. She said I belonged here."

"Is that a church or something?"

"No... It's a hospital."

"Are you sick?" She recalled Sharon saying Felina had detoxed her from medication.

"I thought I was... It's a place for mad people... But Felina showed me real magic, and told me I have a gift... This is the first time I've been out of there in nine years."

"How old are you?"

"I'm nineteen."

"They locked you up in a loony bin at _ten?_ Harsh."

"I killed my parents... The ones who raised me." She looked ashamed.

Suddenly, Sharon had become a _lot_ more interesting. "Really? How?"

"My Ma... She was an accident," Sharon said softly. "I'd always had powers, but I was growing and they were getting stronger... I was still little. I have terrible allergies, and I had a sneezing fit... I lost control and this energy blast burst out of me. It hit her, and she flew through the air into a car... I _never_ would have hurt her. I loved her... It was an accident."

"I believe you... But what about your father?"

"He hurt me... He started doing it all the time after my Ma died. I couldn't stand it anymore, and I begged the universe to kill him so he couldn't hurt me anymore... His heart burst in his chest. He'd always sworn I was evil, and... He was right." She looked broken.

Callie wasn't the sort to get attached to people other than Gwodizan, but there was something about this girl that made her want to protect her. "It sounds like he deserved what he got, Sharon," she said.

"That's what Felina said."

"Look, why don't you wash up and then come into my room? We can talk more."

"Alone?" Sharon's eyes went wide.

"Most people shower alone, yeah."

"I just... Where I was, that wasn't allowed." She was trembling.

Callie felt sorry for her. "Would you feel better if I stayed and talked to you from here while you showered?"

Sharon was visibly relieved. "Would you mind?" She asked.

"Nah. It's no big deal. I have nothing else to do right now anyway." She sat and made small talk while Sharon showered. When she emerged, she quickly dried herself off and got dressed. It wasn't long before the girls were summoned.

"Callie. Sharon. I would like for you to meet the Great Zell," Katherine said grandly as Zell entered the room. It was clearly set up for some sort of ritual.

"Welcome home, my dears!" Zell greeted them pleasantly. His energy was even more intense than Callie had imagined it would be. He radiated more power than Callie had ever felt in her life.

Several people came in then. "Rangers of the Flame, welcome," Zell greeted them. "I want you to meet Callie and Sharon."

"Hi, Girls," one said. "I'm Riley. That's Miss Morgan, Hunter, Maya, and Damon."

"Hey," Callie replied casually.

"It's nice to meet you all," Sharon said sweetly.

Maya visibly paled and was staring at Sharon. "Kendrix..." She whispered.

"Maya? You okay over there?" Zizi asked.

"She... She looks _so much_ like Kendrix..." Maya whispered.

Damon suddenly stared at Sharon, too. "Damn... It's uncanny... Like she's a fucking ghost..." He mumbled.

"Who's Kendrix?" Sharon asked softly.

"Your mother, my dear girl," Zell replied. "And their former teammate."

"You know my mother?" She smiled at them.

"We _knew_ your mother. She died. _Twice,_ actually. Sorry, Kid," Damon replied. Sharon's smile vanished.

"Damon... That was harsh," Maya said.

" _So?_ We're _evil._ Hello?"

Maya approached Sharon cautiously. She looked at her closely before gently tucking a lose strand of Sharon's hair behind her ears. "Your mother gave her life to save another Power Ranger... It was absolutely horrible... She was incredibly brave, Sharon... And she was my best friend," she said softly.

"Damon said she died twice?" Sharon asked nervously.

"After we beat our big bad, somehow, her life force was restored to her... But a couple of months later, there was a fire in her lab, and she died again. No one knows how or why it started, but she didn't make it out. It broke my heart..."

"When you still had one to break," Damon chimed in. "We were _all_ crushed... But it doesn't bother us now. Right, Maya?"

"Right..."

Callie could tell Maya was lying. She might be evil, but her love for her dead best friend had been pure and the trauma of losing her horribly twice had obviously been very strong. It seemed that it still lingered just enough in her heart that seeing Sharon was affecting her. Zell seemed to notice, too.

"That's enough for now... I want the girls to stay with me. Rangers, go on your way," he said.

"Of course, Great Zell," Hunter said. He practically dragged Maya away. The others willingly followed his lead.

"Now, my dears... This may be a shock, but you were both born of magic," Zell said. He summoned fire from the floor. The flames reached toward Callie and Sharon. They wrapped around them. The sensation was oddly soothing. Callie felt power filling her.

Sharon seemed calm for the first time. The same sense of peace Callie felt from the flames was obviously hitting her, too. "Embrace your power, my dears," Zell said. "It is your birthright."

"But... It hurts people," Sharon protested softly.

"Sometimes, we must hurt others. It is inevitable. However, you, my dear girl, are glorious. You can be _so much_ more than you are right now. You can learn to control it, Sharon... And Callie, you can learn to become even stronger than you are now. I know your true potential."

"Look... I don't have anywhere else to go anyway," Callie said. "Katherine and Zizi promised me revenge on Mistress Cheetah if I came, so here I am. I'm already in. I don't need your sales pitch."

"Excellent. And you, my dear?" He asked Sharon after rewarding Callie with a pleased smile.

She looked at him nervously. "I don't have anywhere else to go, either," she admitted. "Anywhere is better than the hospital. And... And those people were friends of my birth mother's. They're the only link I've ever had to her."

"So you're in?" Callie asked.

Sharon nodded. "Yes... I'm in."

"I am so pleased, my dears," Zell said. "Now, I want you to watch something very important. I normally do these rituals alone, but I want you to understand the incredible power you were born from." He paused. "Alchemist! Bring forth the ingredients. Katherine, Zizanyah, Felina, Warlock, you may stay as well." The remaining people he hadn't named left the room.

The Alchemist opened up a pocket realm and pulled three people from inside of it. They all looked appropriately terrified. Two were men and one was a woman. They were magically restrained by golden bonds.

"D'Dellah, Gifted Sorceress of Eltar... Mazrek, brave and noble member of the Eltarian Guard... Ezran, Gentle yet Powerful Magician of Eltar... I welcome you to my home!" Zell said grandly.

Mazrek glared at him defiantly. "Why have you imprisoned us here?" He demanded rather bravely.

"Regrettably, I am in need of something vital you three possess," Zell said.

"We won't help you," Ezran said firmly.

"We know what you are," D'Dellah added.

"It is such a shame no one ever sees the grander picture," Zell said with a sigh. "Rest easy, my friends, for your sacrifice shall not be in vain." With that, he manifested a sword and slashed Ezran's throat with impossible speed. He proceeded to hold him over the fire so his blood could pour into it.

D'Dellah screamed. Mazrek struggled against the golden restraints, but he could not free himself. Callie watched in mild amusement. She hadn't watched a human sacrifice in a while. She wondered what Zell was planning. She noticed Katherine and Felina seemed excited. The Alchemist and the Warlock looked almost bored. Zizi's face had turned hard and unreadable. Callie saw the slightest hint of guilt in her eyes, but it vanished quickly.

Sharon had covered her mouth to keep from screaming. Callie knew it was hard to handle that level of savage violence if you weren't used to it. She slipped her hand into Sharon's free one, squeezing it reassuringly. This seemed to give Sharon the strength to calm down. She held on tight as Zell slashed D'Dellah's throat next. Again, he poured her blood into the fire before tossing her aside. Finally, he repeated the act with Mazrek.

The flames suddenly grew stronger. Three forms began to appear within them. "A life for a life," Zell said. He began speaking in Eltarian. Thanks to Gwodizan, Callie understood the general meaning of his spell.

 _Dark being, return! Return from the flames! Be restored!_ He recited the words three times, and each time, a new physical form appeared in the flames. Finally, the forms became solid and distinct. Zell had raised a ton of energy and as the fire grew stronger, so did Callie. She suspected Sharon felt the same effects.

"Awaken!" Zell cried out.

The three shells suddenly opened their eyes in horrifying unison. They lay there breathing for a moment before sitting up. They looked at each other, clearly confused. Felina looked haunted as she stared at them, but she said nothing. Callie had a feeling something _major_ had just happened.

 _ **FELINA**_

"Who has summoned us here?" One of the newly resurrected Eltarian Rebels asked. _New Jersey..._ Felina thought. _Why on all of Eltar would he bring those three back?_ She watched Micah, the leader of the fallen chapter, and tried to understand what Zell had been thinking.

"Felina? Is that _you?"_ Neighbelle asked. She smiled darkly. "Did _you_ bring us back?"

"No," Felina said firmly. "I did not." She looked at Zell with confusion in her eyes but did not question him aloud.

"Micah, of Eltar... You showed a glorious ability to do whatever it takes for power in the past," Zell said. "Neighbelle, my lovely Sorceress, you would stop at nothing to reach your goal... And Estos... Your desire for power was stronger than even your tie to your brother. I respect that mentality greatly."

"Great Zell?" Neighbelle asked in surprise. She immediately dropped to her knees and bowed her head. "You live! And you have brought us back. Tell me, how much time has passed?"

"It's been over fifty years, my friends," Zell informed them.

"Fifty years?" Estos repeated in shock.

"I have brought you here to seek revenge against the three survivors."

"Three?" Micah repeated.

"Rupi lost his life defending me. The others stand against me. I decided you would be the best solution to that problem... Will you stand with me, my friends?"

"Yes," Micah replied firmly.

"Of course," Neighbelle added.

"I want them to pay," Estos agreed.

"Then it is settled! Welcome to my Alliance. Alchemist, Warlock, kindly show our friends to their quarters," Zell said.

He soon dismissed everyone else as well. Felina hung back. Zell looked at her with an indulgent smile on his face. "Felina, my dear... Was there something on your mind?" He asked.

"My Lord... First, you brought back Jaybert... Now, three of the most infamous Rebels in our history... You continue to resurrect Eltarians who show they deeply lack any loyalty. I do not understand why you would choose them... Pardon my curiosity. I know it is not my place to question you," she said with no confrontation or challenge in her voice.

"It's quite alright, my dear. You always _were_ a curious girl," he said kindly. "Their loyalty is to _power,_ Felina... And with several Rebels gathering in Angel Grove to stand against me, I must be prepared. These fallen Rebels are the only ones who might be able to catch Captain Smith and his pet Campbell Sorceress off-guard."

"Kizzie's _not_ of the Campbell Sorcery line," Felina said. "She simply shares the last name, but her father denied any connection to the heritage."

"Oh, my dear Felina... Have you not learned that humans lie easily? He may have denied his bloodline, but her father was _very much_ a Campbell Sorcerer. I know that horrid line well and can spot all of Galaxia's descendants. Did you _truly_ believe a woman of only half-Eltarian decent would be so powerful? Kizzie's magic comes from two incredibly strong lines... She simply does not know it."

Felina's chest felt tight. If Kizzie was truly Galaxia Campbell's descendant, then Zell would stop at nothing to destroy her... And Kizzie had once been her friend. In fact, Felina _still_ considered Kizzie to be one of the few genuine friends she had left. It was true that Kizzie would never betray Captain Smith and the Captain had taken a firm stance against Zell, but Felina had hoped she would never have to face Kizzie in battle. Kizzie being from Galaxia's line did explain a few things, however. The day Neighbelle, Micah, and Estos had slaughtered the others, Kizzie had been guided by an unidentified and mysterious ancestor who gave her a power boost that kept her alive long enough for Tedius and Rupi to save her. She'd unlocked unimaginable power in Kizzie, and through that she'd been able to kill Estos and ultimately Neighbelle. Captain Smith had ended Micah's life, a fitting punishment for the monster who'd killed his wife and daughter.

 _Damnit,_ Felina thought. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I should have realized that," she admitted.

"Come, Felina," Zell said pleasantly. "We have work to do."

 _ **KIZZIE**_

Something was going on. Captain Smith had withdrawn a bit the day before, and Kizzie couldn't be sure why. He occasionally did that when he needed time to process information that would lead to a battle. Kizzie knew something big must be coming.

She was levitating several feet off the ground as she meditated when she sensed the last thing she expected. It hit her so hard, she fell to the floor with a hard thud. She barely registered the mild pain this caused as she felt out to see if what she'd sensed had just been in her head.

"Kizzie? Are you okay?" B'Danna asked, running into the room at the sound of Kizzie hitting the floor.

"Get Captain Smith," Kizzie said. "Urgently."

B'Danna didn't question her order. She hurried off and returned with Captain Smith. Tedius was right behind them. "Kizzie, what's wrong?" Captain Smith asked.

"Sir... I sensed something impossible... A magical signature that should not be present in this place or time," Kizzie said.

Captain Smith lowered his head. "I had hoped we had more time," he said softly.

She stared at him. "It's true then? She's... She's _back?"_

" _Who's_ back?" B'Danna asked.

"Neighbelle." Kizzie practically spat the name of the traitor out.

Tedius turned white as a sheet. "No..." He whispered in horror.

"It's true..." Captain Smith confirmed. "Yesterday, the Chosen boy, Caleb, came to me. Our fallen friends visited him... The poor boy was so overwhelmed it nearly killed him... But the moment he was functional enough, he contacted me. They warned him that they were coming back."

" _They?"_ Tedius asked. "Surely they are not _all_ back..." He shook his head.

"Zell intended to resurrect all three. If Neighbelle is back, the others are as well."

"Not for long!" Kizzie declared. She began gathering power.

"Kizzie... Stand down," Captain Smith said firmly.

"But Sir-"

"Kizzie... Zell has set a trap. Just as with Jaybert, we must not fall for it."

"I _owe them_ for what they did, Sir! I shall slaughter them once and for all for everything they took from you!"

"My dearest Kizzie, _please_ listen to my words... We _cannot_ take the bait... And I refuse to risk any of your lives. We will _not_ allow the past to repeat itself. I am unwilling to lose any of you."

"They were your _family..._ I _must_ avenge them."

"They were _your_ family, too, Kizzie. You are as much my kin as they were, and I _refuse_ to watch you perish. We will set this right, but not without a plan." He pulled Kizzie into his arms, instantly calming her rage. Kizzie let most of the energy she'd raised go.

"I'm sorry, Sir..." She said softly.

"It's alright, Kizzie... I understand and share your rage and pain..." He sighed. "The boy had another message for us. We must find Vitella."

"Vitella?" Kizzie asked in surprise. "She hasn't been seen in well over a century... I think she's been undercover since around the time B'Danna was born."

"You are correct, and only Garron knew her location... Laby knew how to reach her thirty years ago, but who knows if she's still in that location? Unfortunately, I need to speak to Garron."

"But he's been dead for months," B'Danna said.

"Yes... Which us why we must summon his spirit."

"I can manage that," Kizzie said.

"I know... Are you up to it, or do you need time?"

"We have no time to waste. If the spirits say we need Vitella, then we must find her at once," Kizzie said. "I can handle Garron."

"Tedius... Get some rest," Captain Smith said. "You have had a terrible shock."

Tedius nodded numbly. He walked away. "Will he be okay?" B'Danna asked.

"Tedius is now all that remains of the New Jersey Chapter," Captain Smith said. "This is difficult for him... However, I believe with a bit of time, he will face this as the rest of us must. Now, B'Danna, if you wish to leave before we summon Garron, you may."

"I'll stay... In case you need me," B'Danna replied.

"Very well. Let us begin."

Kizzie set to work. Her skill with summoning the dead was moderate at best, but she'd known Garron well, and Captain Smith had known him even better. Like Vitella, Garron had been a founding member of the Rebellion. The two of them had saved Captain Smith's life and recruited him to the Rebellion when he was still a teenager. Even when they disagreed on morals, Garron had always shown a fondness and deep respect for Captain Smith.

Garron appeared easily enough. He didn't look happy. In fact, he scowled at them. "If it isn't the cowards," he said.

B'Danna seemed to take the most offense to this. "Says the man with no honor," she replied.

" _I_ have no honor? Your entire Chapter fled from battle!"

"That was not cowardice, Garron," Captain Smith replied calmly. "You were battling innocents."

" _Innocents?_ Those children _killed_ me!"

"Actually, as I understand it, they tried not to. You left them with little choice in the matter," Kizzie said.

Garron was about to reply when Captain Smith interrupted him. " _Vide piel virit. Bizzeh mada alebastes!"_ The mantras got Garron's attention and he was clearly listening now. "Garron, I am truly sorry about what happened to you. However, the Rebellion needs you now," he said.

Garron hesitated. "The _entire_ Rebellion, or just your Chapter?" He finally asked.

" _All_ of us," Captain Smith said. "We _need_ a founding member to step in... And there is only one of you left."

"Vitella..." Garron said. He sighed.

"Yes. We require her coordinates and a way to reach her. It is _extremely_ urgent."

"She remains _deep_ undercover on KO35. She infiltrated their government over a century ago and has been handling the corruption there."

"I thought there _was_ no corruption on KO35," B'Danna said. "Especially after they were chased off their home planet."

"That is a common misconception, B'Danna of Eltar... However, Vitella found that the corruption ran so deep and was so well-hidden that the only way to correct the issue was from the inside. She slowly but surely weeded out most of the trouble over the last century and a half, assassinating anyone she had to... Her mission is essentially complete, however, she remained to ensure KO35 did not immediately fall into chaos in her absence."

"How do we reach her? What is her cover identity?" Kizzie asked.

"I am aware this is a big _if,_ but if you can track down Laby, he knows how to reach her."

None of them told Garron that Laby was back and actively in Angel Grove. They knew Garron could only be trusted so much, and although it was normally unlikely he'd do anything to harm Laby with their long history as friends, they couldn't guarantee he wouldn't run to Zell with the information in exchange for an offer of resurrection.

"Thank you, Garron. We will try to locate Laby," Captain Smith said.

"If the boy will respond to anyone, it is you, B'Bodian," Garron replied. "Good luck, and farewell." He gave Captain Smith the Rebellion salute.

"Farewell, Old Friend," Captain Smith replied, returning the salute. Kizzie and B'Danna automatically did the same. After a nod from Captain Smith, Kizzie released Garron's spirit and sent him back to the Underworld.

B'Danna spoke first. "I'll call Laby," she said.

"Thank you, B'Danna. I would appreciate that," Captain Smith said.

She nodded and hurried off. When they were alone, Captain Smith dropped his stoic exterior. He looked deeply worried and exhausted.

"Sir..." Kizzie said with concern. "Are you alright?"

Captain Smith tried to offer her a reassuring smile, but Kizzie knew him well enough to spot the pain in his eyes. "I miss them," he admitted softly.

"I know you do, Sir. There is not a day that passes that I do not think of them as well."

He nodded before putting a reassuring arm around her shoulder. "We have work to do," he said after a moment. Kizzie followed him, not daring to push him further.

 _ **ANGIE**_

She was at Kenny's house for dinner with the Hart-Cranston Clan. Kimberly was busy cooking. Billy was helping her. Dr. K and Ziggy were a few feet away as Ziggy worked on preparing a couple of side dishes. Kenny and Angie headed to the living room to watch television and keep Billie occupied while her parents were busy. Josh was upstairs, probably hiding in his bedroom again.

"Kenny... I'm worried about Josh," Angie admitted as she played with Billie. She'd gotten really attached to the baby, and the baby seemed to love her. She kept her tone pleasant for the sake of the little one.

"He's been withdrawing into Josh World, I know," Kenny said. "He barely even talks to people unless they corner him. He's not even hanging out with Taylor."

"Yeah... Taylor's seemed pretty down lately. I think he thinks he did something wrong."

"He didn't... This is just Classic Josh. I just wish I knew what he was so focused on."

"My mom," Josh said from the stairs, making them both jump. Angie reassured Billie everything was fine with a bit of baby talk.

"What do you mean?" Kenny asked.

"I'm focused on my mom," he repeated. "I'm trying to figure out why she died."

"Josh... Your mom was sick," Kenny said gently.

"Yes. With an Eltarian disease. Contrary to popular belief, my dad isn't crazy. My mom was murdered. So you can stop talking about me behind my back."

Kenny looked hurt. "Josh, I _never_ called Billy crazy."

"You didn't _have_ to. The look on your face says you think the same thing about _me."_

"I do _not,"_ Kenny said firmly. He stood up and cautiously approached Josh. "Josh... Come on. Talk to us. We're _worried_ about you."

Josh shoved Kenny hard, knocking him into the nearest wall. Kenny looked stunned. Angie gasped as Josh began to hit him.

"Josh! Stop it!" She cried in alarm. Billie started crying in her arms. Angie tried to soothe her while desperately trying to figure out what to do.

"Josh, what the _hell?!"_ Kenny asked as he tried to defend himself without hurting Josh.

Josh wasn't saying anything now, and his hits became even more aggressive. Angie was about to resort to using magic to separate them when Billy, Kimberly, Doctor K, and Ziggy ran into the room.

"Josh! What's going on?" Billy asked. He quickly tried to get between the boys. Josh shocked Angie by rounding on his father, throwing him across the room with impressive strength.

Kimberly approached Josh, who looked like he was going to hit her next. "Mom!" Kenny cried as he jumped between them.

Josh hit Kenny so hard he left him bleeding. "Kenny!" Angie cried in horror. "Ziggy, take Billie and get out of here," she said, handing the baby to Ziggy.

Ziggy didn't argue, apparently realizing the baby needed protection more than anyone else did. As soon as he was gone, Angie raised energy, letting her magic spread through the room in purple and green spirals. "Josh, I _don't_ want to hurt you," she said firmly. "But I will if it means protecting everyone else."

It was hard for Angie to say that. Josh had been her first friend in her entire life. She loved him... But he was going too far.

"Shut up!" Josh shouted. Now, he focused on her. He ran toward her, ready to attack.

"Angie, look out!" Kenny shouted. He was too hurt to get to her.

"I don't understand... Did Zell get to him?" Kimberly asked as she tried to tend to Kenny's injuries.

"Shut up! Shut _up!_ You're making my head hurt!" Josh screamed. He grabbed Angie before she could react and wrapped his hands around her throat. Josh was a lot stronger than people realized.

" _Angie!"_ Kimberly cried.

Billy finally managed to get back on his feet. He grabbed Josh and forced him to release Angie. She gasped for air and struggled not to collapse. Billy tried to restrain Josh, but that only made him panic and fight back harder. It was looking really bad when, suddenly, Josh collapsed to the floor.

Angie saw Doctor K standing over him. She'd been hidden by her struggling brother and father because she was small. Now, she held a device as she looked down at Josh.

"K... What did you do?" Kenny asked.

"I injected him with a sedative. Nothing _else_ seemed to be working. He'll wake up in a few hours. Now..." She held the device over Josh. Nothing happened. "He hasn't been turned. This is something else," she said after a minute. "Who needs medical attention?"

Angie tried to swallow. It hurt. "Me," she croaked out. At least he hadn't crushed her vocal chords.

Doctor K looked over her injuries. "That looks pretty bad... You'll need to rest your voice for a bit, and your throat is already starting to bruise, but you'll be okay. I'll give you something for the pain and to reduce the swelling." She turned to Billy. "You're banged up... Let me look over your injuries," she said.

"Kenny first, please," Billy replied softly. "I'll move Josh to his bed."

"Okay... And call Sage, in case this is magical and not scientific."

"Yes... That's a good idea," Billy agreed. He scooped up Josh like he was much smaller than he actually was and headed toward the stairs. That was when they heard a strange sound.

Something squeaked maliciously... If squeaking could qualify as malicious. "What the...?" Kimberly asked.

"Kimberly... Move very, _very_ slowly and bring me a mirror," Doctor K said steadily. " _No one_ look at that creature... I believe it is a _vizu."_

"What? How the hell would that thing have gotten in here?" Angie asked.

"That's... Not Sunny..." Kenny managed to say. The Stone Warriors had introduced Sunny to them at training.

"No... Apparently, it's her evil cousin," Billy said.

Kimberly pulled a compact mirror out of her pocket and handed it to Doctor K. She opened it and shoved it in front of the _vizu._ The creature screamed before vanishing.

Doctor K let out a sigh before saying, "Alright... That explains Josh's behavior. He must have made eye contact with it. The problem is, we have no way of knowing how long the effects will last."

"I was under the impression that madness caused by a _vizu_ is permanent," Billy said softly.

"We need the Eltarians on this one," Doctor K said practically. "If there is a known cure, they should have that answer." She looked at Billy. "Go put him in his bed. Be careful, in case there are any other _vizu_ in the house. Bring Kimberly's mirror with you, just to be safe."

"That would leave you all defenseless," Billy pointed out.

Kimberly excused herself. A moment later, she returned from one of the bathrooms with a large mirror she'd pulled off the wall. "We'll be fine," she promised. "Take care of Josh, and we'll figure out who to call for help."

Billy took the compact before carrying Josh up to his room. "Josh is going to be okay... Right?" Kenny asked weakly.

"I hope so, Kenny," Doctor K replied. She began looking over his injuries. Angie watched as she started to stitch him up. She inched closer, wanting to help. "No, Angie. You need to recover. Nothing is fatal. Kenny will be fine. He'll be sore for a few days at worst. The injuries are bad, but nothing will do permanent harm."

Kenny offered her a brave smile. "I'm okay, Ang," he promised. "Take care of yourself."

Angie reluctantly backed off. She sat to the side trying not to completely freak out. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" Kimberly asked knowingly.

Angie realized she was visibly trembling. She shook her head slowly. Kimberly wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. "Do you want me to call your mom?" She asked.

Angie hesitated, then nodded. "Okay," Kimberly said, taking a deep breath. "I'll invite her to stay for dinner. I mean, we still need to eat, right?" She laughed to herself. "I never thought I'd see the day I invited Rita Repulsa to a family dinner."

Angie managed to smile slightly. Kimberly pulled out her phone and sent a text to Angie's mother. Her mom _loved_ texting. Emoticons amused her greatly. Sure enough, she sent back a cat with hearts in its eyes.

"Is that a yes?" Kimberly asked. Angie nodded. A minute later, her mother teleported into the house.

"Kimberly! Thank you for the thoughtful invitation," she said cheerfully. Then, she got a look at Angie. "Oh, my poor baby... Here, let me help." She began healing her, and Angie quickly began feeling better.

Angie tried to talk when her mother was done. Her voice was hoarse, but it no longer hurt to speak. "Thanks, Mom," she said softly.

"Of course. Pinky, you're next!" Her mother said. She sat beside Kenny and started healing him.

"Rita... We had a _vizu_ in the house. That's what we think happened... Josh was the one who attacked. He'd never do this," Kimberly explained.

"He looked into its eyes?" Angie's mother asked in horror.

"We think so... Can your magic reverse the effects?"

" _Nothing_ reverses that, Kimberly... I'm sorry... But... Maybe Zordon might know something! Let me text him..."

Shortly after, the Alphas teleported Zordon into the house. "You believe Josh has been driven mad?" He asked urgently.

"It seems that way," Doctor K replied. "There's no other logical explanation for his behavior short of head trauma, and he showed no signs of that. Excuse me. I should let Ziggy know it is safe to return with the little one." She moved away from the rest of them. Angie suspected Doctor K was more upset than she was letting on. She was attached to Josh, even if she didn't show it.

"Where is he?" Zordon asked.

"K sedated him after he attacked all of us," Kimberly replied. "Billy took him upstairs."

"This is _very_ bad..." Zordon said softly. "I have only heard of one entity ever curing the madness a _vizu_ causes... And he's been missing for thirty years. He also joined the Eltarian Rebellion, but I don't believe he is evil. From what I understand, he did a great deal of good for Cassie's team of Rangers. Unfortunately, in both the previous timeline and the new one, he dropped off the face of the Earth in 1989 after his Chapter of Rebels was slaughtered."

"Do you think he would help us if you found him?" Kimberly asked.

Zordon hesitated for only a moment. "If _I_ asked, yes. I believe that he would. Laby was once a very close friend of my family's. He watched over my mother and I when he could, and he was extremely close to my aunt. It is possible Lido may know where he is, although I can't promise that. If Laby doesn't want to be found, there is no way to track him. I shall contact Lido..."

"Have dinner with us first. Kimberly cooked," Angie's mother said cheerfully.

"I couldn't impose."

"This is a family dinner, Zordon. You're family," Kimberly said. "Besides, Billy will probably want to talk to you about Josh's situation."

Zordon finally nodded. "I should have the Alphas bring Josh to the Command Center anyway. _Vizu_ induced psychosis comes and goes, but there is no telling what he'll do in a delusional fit. Once he wakes up, we need to keep him locked in a cell until we can be certain he is no threat to himself or others. I'll have the Alphas prepare it."

"Well, _that's_ flashback inducing," Billy said from the stairs.

"What do you mean, Billy?" Angie asked.

"Well, Angie, there was an incident when we were younger where Kimberly and I were turned into violent punks after consuming a beverage we _thought_ was water. We had to be contained in a similar manner."

"Oh, ugh! Don't remind me! My clothes and hair were the absolute _worst,"_ Kimberly recalled in disgust. "And don't _even_ get me started on the state of my _nails!_ Total cringe!"

"Yeah, there was _that..._ And the fact that we were evil," Billy said with an adoring smile as he looked at her.

"I can't decide which was worse... That, or the time we switched brains," Kimberly said with a laugh.

"You two _really_ need to tell us stories of your Ranger days more often," Kenny said as he cracked up.

"Sorry for providing so many stories like that, by the way," Angie's mother said, blushing slightly.

"We're not mad at you, Rita," Kimberly said quickly. "You couldn't help it, and we know you've changed."

Ziggy returned with the baby, saving them from any potential awkwardness. Billie was watching him with absolute adoration, and he returned the expression. _He's great with kids,_ Angie thought. _I wonder if Doctor K wants to have children one day._

"Okay... Let's head into the kitchen and have dinner," Kimberly said, scooping Billie into her arms. It was clear she hated letting her out of her sight for long. The others followed Kimberly's lead and sat down for dinner like this was a perfectly normal evening.

 _This_ is _normal for us,_ Angie realized. _Hang out, get attacked, stop a crisis, resume everyday activities._ Their lives might be strange, but Angie loved being part of this world. She wouldn't trade it for anything. She just hoped they'd find a way to cure Josh. The alternative was too horrible to consider.

 _ **LABY**_

He held his new communication stone in his hands. Laby hadn't kept the one from thirty years ago because he didn't want to talk to anyone, but they were easy enough to make with the right materials and a basic spell to activate them. A communication stone was the only way he could reach Vitella. To do it, because of the way she'd spelled her stone, he needed to know her approximate location. Thanks to Garron's spirit, he knew she hadn't moved in the last thirty years.

Taking a deep breath, Laby silently begged his hands to stop shaking. He could do this... Captain Smith rarely asked Laby for anything, and this involved the bastards who'd killed his family. Laby had promised him when it happened that he'd do anything he could to help him should he ever need it. He intended to keep that promise.

He focused on what he needed to before tapping the communication stone twice and saying firmly, "Vitella!"

The stone hummed to life, vibrating as it tried to connect. For too many seconds, nothing else happened. After two minutes, Laby was certain Vitella wasn't going to answer him. Still, he waited. Vitella was deep undercover, and she probably wasn't expecting anyone to try to reach her. He knew he had to give her time to get away if she was in public.

After ten minutes, Laby was about to give up completely. He nearly severed the connection when he suddenly saw a face appear in the stone.

"Laby?" Vitella asked in surprise.

"Hey, Vitti," he greeted her as a thousand emotions threatened to overwhelm him. Laby had always been close to Vitella. The only surviving founding member of the Eltarian Rebellion was a lovely woman. When the Rebellion was founded, Vitella had been a lot like the Flower Children Laby met in the 1960s. She firmly preached peaceful resistance to the corruption on Eltar. She was against any violence whatsoever, the complete opposite of her brother. Laby's parents had been on the side of peaceful resistance as well, while Garron had been more prone to violence. Because three of the five believed peaceful protests were enough to bring about change, the Rebellion remained completely peaceful. They fought for the innocent, but with words, not acts of violence.

That had changed after a peaceful protest ended in a brutal slaughter of about half of the Rebels, including Laby's parents. Of those in attendance, Laby was the only survivor. He'd been horribly injured, even getting shot in the head, but his immortality had kept him alive. Felina had discovered him among the dead and done her best to help him. Since Vitella had been pregnant, she'd stayed home and sent her brother and husband to the protest in her place. Her brother, his wife, their toddler daughter, and her husband were all killed. When Garron, Laby, and Felina had broken the news to her, she'd miscarried in her grief. Laby spent the night by her side, watching over her. In the morning, Vitella had woken up, chopped off most of her beautiful hair that usually had flowers in it, and proclaimed to the Rebellion that peaceful resistance did not work. That was the day everything had changed for the Rebellion.

"Laby, it's been such a long time! How _are_ you?" Vitella asked.

"Oh, you know... Still crazy."

"I was starting to think you didn't like me anymore," she teased him.

"I went off-grid for thirty years, Vitti. It wasn't you, I promise. I didn't contact _anyone."_

Vitella looked concerned. "What happened, Laby?"

"Garron didn't tell you, _did_ he?" He sighed. "My Chapter doesn't exist anymore, Vitti. B'Danna is with Captain Smith, but no one else is still... They all..." He couldn't say it.

Vitella softened. "Oh, Laby... Your grief is clear. What became of the others?" She asked gently.

"It was Jay... He... He was working with a _vizu_ and he went insane... He slaughtered them all... B'Danna and... And Draze survived, but Draze... He died earlier this year. Captain Smith brought them into his Chapter."

"My Gods... Jaybert killed them?" Vitella repeated in horror.

"Yes... So I killed him... But now... He's _back,_ Vitti. And we've got an even _bigger_ problem. I know Garron told you about New York and New Jersey... Micah, Neighbelle, and Estos are back, too."

"Who the hell is resurrecting dead Rebels?" Vitella demanded. "And traitorous ones, at that."

"It's Zell, Vitti. He returned, and he's been recruiting Rebels."

"What?! The Great Wizard of Eltar is _exactly_ what the Rebellion stands against. Why would any of us work with him?"

"Well, some he resurrected... Others had nowhere else to go. Boom and Blast are with him."

"Please tell me Garron didn't join forces with him!"

 _Shit,_ Laby thought. He hadn't thought about the fact that Vitella wouldn't know about Garron's death. "Vitti... Um..." He sighed. "The twins joined Zell after their Chapter perished. Travis and Macy died in a poorly planned attack on the Eltarian Government. They assassinated the Mayor, the Prime Minister, and others... Including school children. That was when they lost Draze, too."

" _Children?"_ She repeated in horror.

"Morda and Garron died in the next big battle. I'm sorry, Vitti. He's gone."

She paused, not showing any emotion. Then, she said, "I see... Go on, Laby. Tell me the rest."

"Zydia died the same day as Garron. Rupi was overcome with grief and joined Zell... He didn't survive. Raff... Raff lost most of his Chapter. Lido left the Rebellion, and so did the kids. I think at least one of his members died... But Raff and Felina fled. They went to Zell. Ultimately, Raff walked away, but it was too late. His only option was death, so he had someone kill him..." Laby's chest ached.

"So much senseless loss of life," Vitella said softly, shaking her head. She sighed. "And Felina?"

"She's still with him. You know how loyal she is to him. The moment she knew he returned, she was on his side. I'd like to save her, but Felina never sees reason where he's concerned." He paused. "He has the Alchemist and the Warlock, too."

"Damnit... They're extremely powerful and pack a punch. Throwing Felina into the mix just adds that much more power... He's building an army."

"Vitti... We need you. The Rebels are divided, and you are the _only_ founding member we have left. No one else can unite us."

Vitella nodded. "Give me a few hours. I have someone here I trust completely. He can continue my work and keep corruption out of KO35's government. I'll come to Earth as soon as I tie up a couple of loose ends."

"Thanks, Vitti."

"The Rebels are my family, Laby. And with Garron gone, this responsibility is mine alone. You don't have to thank me." With that, she severed the connection.

Laby took several deep breaths. Vitella was coming back. Maybe she could whip the Rebels back into shape. In the meantime, Laby realized he was going to have to stop hiding. The time to fight was coming.

 _This is what you've waited for,_ he told himself. The tightness in his chest didn't go away. Laby sighed and headed toward the house the Rebels were staying in. The last thing he expected was to see Daphne.

The girl stood in front of the house with Lido and Zuzu. She was talking to Zuzu sweetly as he perched on her outstretched hand and hopped closer to her face so he could rub his face against it. She smiled, and there was no denying who she was, especially as Lido watched her with a peaceful smile of his own.

Laby was going to turn around and leave before she could see him. That was when he heard a voice ask softly, "Laby?"

He spun around, realizing he knew the energy. It didn't change the fact that looking into her eyes was a shock. "Hey, Sera…" He said softly. He hadn't expected to ever speak to her again. He actively avoided her incarnations because it was too painful to see her when she would have no idea who he was… But this girl knew him.

"Oh my Gods…" She said before flinging her arms around him. "You're _here!_ How?"

He paused. "How much do you remember, Ser… Darcy?" He asked, remembering her current name.

"About you? Everything." She wouldn't let him go.

"You're going to be disappointed in me, Darcy… I'm sort of one of the Eltarian Rebels."

"No shit, why else would you be hanging out in these woods?" She let him go and rolled her eyes. "Laby… I could never be disappointed in you. I know that, no matter what you've done, you've had reasons."

"How much of you is Sera?" He finally asked.

"Enough. I have all of her knowledge and am re-learning how to use my magic… And I feel how much she loved you, Laby… Right now, I'm more Sera than Darcy."

He nodded. "I'm sorry. For failing you."

"Don't _even_ start."

"I know the truth, Sera. I knew it from the second it happened. Ash would _never_ have hurt you. I would have killed Zell myself, but I didn't have the power back then… Or the homicidal instinct. I learned to kill as part of the Rebellion. And now, I've come to make him pay."

"Laby, don't fight my fight for me."

"It's my fight, too. He took _everything_ from me!"

"Everything?"

"You… Then your siblings… Then my new family…" He sighed. "I lost my parents in the slaughter that turned the Rebellion violent. The Rebels took care of me, and eventually, I ended up in a Chapter here on Earth. I had a family again. I had friends. And Zell knew they were going to be slaughtered and didn't warn us, even though he sent his minion back in time to us. He let them die… Even… Even _her_ …" He was crying and panicking and couldn't seem to stop. "She was _innocent…"_

Darcy wrapped her arms around him again. "Who was she?" She asked.

"The daughter of the Chapter leader… An absolute angel on Earth… Her name was…" He shook his head.

"It's okay, Laby. Tell me. Please."

"T…. Ti… T-Tiffani," he forced himself to say.

"You were in love with her."

"I fell for her… I don't know how it happened. One minute, I was helping raise the kid, and the next… She was a teenager, and she kissed me, and… It just clicked."

"That happens."

"She was _fifteen_ , Darcy. And her father slaughtered her in the most brutal way possible. I didn't get there in time to save her… I made it just in time for her to bleed out in my arms while I sent her mind into a beautiful hallucination that would give her some kind of peace instead of all that pain… I… I…" He couldn't breathe as the flashback hit him hard.

Darcy kissed his forehead, whispering soothing words to him as he cried and trying to pull him back. For the first time in a long time, Laby felt their connection. He would always be tied to her. She'd cast so many spells on him over the years as she learned to control her magic, they shared a powerful link.

Laby looked at her with tears in his eyes. She wiped them away gently. "It's okay, Laby. I'm sorry I left you, but I'm here now," she said. He knew it was Serafine speaking now. Darcy had moved back to let her through.

"Sera…" He whispered. And then, Laby let go of everything he'd been keeping inside for all of that time. His grief for Sera was the first pain he'd ever really known. It was an old wound he knew would never heal… But she was with him now.

"I love you," she told him. "And I'm going to help you, Laby. I promise."

"You can't face him. He'll try to kill you again…" His voice trembled slightly.

"My siblings and I faced him recently. We won. And we'll win again."

"But… But Daphne… She's so gentle, Sera. She always sees the good in people."

"There is no good to see in him, and Andie knows that, even if Daphne doesn't. My sister has grown stronger in her later lives. Andie has been through many difficult things, and Isobel is exceptionally powerful and has a love she is devoted to with all that she possesses. They give Daphne the strength she needs to resist him."

"I can't lose you guys again… I really can't."

"You won't, Laby. I'm not going anywhere, and neither are Daphne and Ash."

"You can't know that, Sera! _Everyone_ dies!"

"Laby…" She paused.

"Everyone. Every. _Single._ Person I love. They _all_ die on me, usually in horrible ways, often right in front of me… But _I_ survive. Even if I get shot, stabbed, blown up… I _always_ survive because I'm immortal… So I have to watch everyone else die. No one is safe." He was starting to cry again, his PTSD seriously kicking his ass.

"Laby… I'm so sorry for everything you have been through," Sera said. He knew that she somehow knew all of his grief now. Sera _always_ knew.

"Darcy! Are you ready?" Andie called, snapping Laby out of his thoughts. As Andie and Lido came into view, Lido paused. He automatically steadied Andie, who tripped over something in the grass. Her eyes shined as she smiled at him with appreciation.

 _My God, it's like we're back on Eltar,_ Laby thought. Daphne had always been a bit on the clumsy side. It was kind of endearing, and Lido had a talent for keeping her from getting hurt.

Andie stared at him for a moment before she whispered, "Laby?"

"Yeah, it's me," he said. He paused before asking, "And are you Andie or Daphne?"

"Sometimes, it's hard to tell," she replied with a shrug. Then, she walked toward him and gave him a hug that reminded him very much of Daphne. "It's so good to see you… Where have you been in all of this?"

"That's a long story, _Birlina_ ," he said automatically. It hurt him that the nickname slipped out, but it also felt right to use it. She smiled up at him with the same loving, trusting eyes she'd had as a child on Eltar.

" _Birlina_ … You called me that all the time… It means… It means Little Bird, right? You also called me your 'Little Daphne Bird'."

"You were like a curious but nervous, fragile baby bird. I always figured that was why Lido took such a liking to you." He smiled at her. "Even as you got older, you reminded me of that."

"Laby… I was going to come find you," Lido said seriously.

"I was on my way to see you guys anyway," Laby said, shifting his focus. "I called Vitti. She's coming."

"Captain Smith will be pleased," Lido said. "That is not why I needed to see you, though… The young Power Rangers are in danger. Zordon has reached out. One of the Legacy team has come into contact with a _vizu._ He attacked his step-brother and best friend, among others."

Laby paled. "A _vizu…_ Here?" He asked.

"Yes. We believe someone sent it after the boy. He wouldn't have gone and summoned it… Unless he did it accidentally. He's been looking into his mother's death, and it seems she was exposed to a _vizu_ as well, but not a vengeful one. It may have been Sunny."

"Sunny isn't evil. She wouldn't hurt anyone," Laby said. He might hate all of the evil creatures on principal, but Sunny was different. He'd found her as cute and amusing as Sera and her siblings had.

"She didn't go mad, at least not in life. She had visions. It seems she was killed because she was a prophet. The boy, however, is clearly in trouble. Laby… Zordon asked me to try to 'track you.' I told him I would attempt to locate you… I dislike lying to him. I owe him more than that."

"I'm sorry, Lido," Laby said. "I never meant to put you in that position… But if Zordon knows I'm here, so will Zell."

"Maybe not. He's much stronger than he was as a boy, and even then, Zordon could keep Zell out of his head."

"I don't know about this…"

"The boy is young and has been through a lot in his life. He needs help. He's very important to a number of others, and he's innocent in this."

"Laby…" Darcy said with Sera still very much in her eyes. "It's time for you to stop hiding."

Laby sighed. "Alright," he said. "I'll try to fix the kid."

"Come. I shall bring you to Zordon," Lido said.

"Will you come with me?" Laby asked Darcy.

"Sure. Andie, you should come, too," Darcy replied.

Andie hesitated. "Zordon gets uncomfortable when I'm around him," she replied softly.

"The two of you need to get over that, and the only way you can is if you're around each other more often," Darcy said practically. "We're doing this."

Andie nodded. Together, the four of them headed toward what would very likely be an awkward situation. They arrived at a house that seemed to be out of a movie. It was large and beautiful, with a garden in the front that would make most people jealous.

Darcy rang the doorbell. The woman who answered it smiled at her. "Hi, Sweetheart," she said warmly. "I wasn't expecting you and Andie to join us. Are you hungry? I have leftovers."

"We're good, Kimberly, but thanks," Darcy replied. They followed Kimberly into the house.

A girl with lavender hair and a boy whose upper body was seriously muscular sat together on the couch. Nearby, a young woman stood watching them with a smile on her face. It took Laby a minute to realize who she was.

"Is that… Rita Repulsa?" He asked in surprise.

"She's good now. Her soul was cleansed of Zell's flames when she saved her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend from being killed," Darcy explained. "That's them on the couch, Angie and Kenny. Kenny is Kimberly's son."

Laby nodded. There were others present, and Darcy quickly made introductions. "Laby, that's Billy, Kimberly's husband and Josh's father, Doctor K, and Ziggy," she said. "Guys, this is Laby. He's here to help Josh."

"Then you're welcome here," Billy said. He looked exhausted and worried, which made sense considering his son was in danger of losing his mind forever.

"Where's the kid?" Laby asked.

"Upstairs in his room," Kimberly said.

"I'll show you where it is," Darcy said. She took Laby's hand and led him upstairs.

They found Josh in his bedroom. They also found someone else. For a moment, Laby's breath caught in his chest. He stared at Zordon and was positive he was about to sentence him to life in prison only because death was off the table.

"Labyrinth…" Zordon said. Then, he stood up and wrapped his arms around him. "Thank you for coming," he said softly.

"It's, um… It's good to see you, Zordon," Laby replied.

"It's good to see you, too, Laby. Please… Come closer to the boy. I will wake Josh when you're ready."

"First, what do we know? How long was his exposure? Where did the thing come from?"

"No one's sure."

"Super. A challenge." Laby sighed. "Wake him up. I'm as ready as I'll ever be… But, Zordon… I haven't tried to cure madness in thirty years or so. It might not work." Laby was worried he'd lost the ability, given the fact that he'd refused to use most of his powers while he'd been in hiding.

"You're willing to try. That's more than enough. I have faith in you, Laby."

"Still?" Laby asked before he could stop himself.

Zordon softened. "Yes, Laby. Still."

Laby nodded. "Come on, Kid. Nap's over," he said.

Zordon did something that brought Josh out of his sleeping state. Josh immediately tried to attack him. "Whoa. Ambitious kid," Laby said. He jumped between them and looked at Josh, catching his eyes. He focused, connecting their minds so he could see just how bad the damage was. He sent Zordon and Darcy out of the room so he could work.

It was worse than he'd thought. Josh's mind was compartmentalized on its own, and the _vizu_ had locked off his access to most of his sanity. The kid had clearly been through hell to build so many walls in his own mind. Laby cautiously explored them, needing to connect to the truth if he hoped to help him.

When he was done seeing Josh's memories, Laby was furious. No kid should have to live through a quarter of what he'd been through. He forced himself to ignore the trauma and focus on physical issues. Josh had suffered a severe head trauma a few years earlier, and if he got hit in the head the wrong way, he'd black out and hit a blind rage. The violent episodes were what the _vizu_ had fed on, making sure Josh was nothing but that anger.

"You're more than this, Kid," Laby told him. "Stay with me…" He pulled forth Josh's trauma, forcing the boy to get stuck inside of it. He had no choice. He had to reconnect Josh with his past. He made sure to show Josh his joy, too. His friends, successful battles as a Power Ranger, his father working with him on scientific projects, anything that brought him peace. Laby tried his best to help Josh heal from some of the things which had nearly broken him.

Finally, after more than two hours, Josh was back in control of himself. He looked at Laby and nervously asked, "Who are you?"

"Johnny Doe," Laby replied. "Let's leave it at that. You're okay now, Josh."

"Oh God… I… I attacked Kenny… And Angie, and Kim, and my dad…"

"Josh, breathe. Look, Kid, that wasn't your fault. You were driven mad by a _vizu._ Do you remember how you ran into the thing?"

"I… I was reading my mom's journal," Josh said. "And I heard a strange sound… So I looked up, and I saw it… I realized what it was and tried to look away, but it pounced on me and forced me to look into its eyes…" He was trembling.

"It's okay, Josh. It's gone now. They banished the little bastard."

Josh nodded. He leaned closer to Laby, probably still hypnotized enough that he didn't question having a stranger so close to him. Laby comforted him until he was calmer. "Try and rest, Josh," he said soothingly. "You can see everyone later."

"My dad… I… I can't face him, but…" Josh began.

"But you need him here. It's alright, Josh. I'll get him for you, I promise. He can stay and watch over you tonight. You should be fine, and I'll stay here while you sleep so you can finish processing all of this. I promise you'll feel better in the morning." He stood. "I'll be right back with your dad."

He headed downstairs and saw everyone waiting and watching him. Laby felt mildly self-conscious like an awkward teenager, but he covered it well. He grinned at them and said, "Kid's okay, but he needs sleep… And he's asking for you, Billy. Everyone else can see him in the morning, but I cleared the issue out. He won't be attacking you guys again."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Kimberly said with relief. "Are you hungry, Laby?"

"Starving, actually, but I promised the kid I'd stay with him and help him get through this tonight… He's kind of traumatized, but he'll be alright by morning."

"I'll make you a plate to go." She headed off to the kitchen.

Laby had to admit, he liked her. It was nice to have someone taking care of him again, but at the same time, it was kind of strange. It made him miss Amareese, but he tried not to focus on that.

As Laby waited for the food, Billy went upstairs to see his son. Laby figured it was okay to give them a couple of minutes alone. When Kimberly returned with two plates piled high with incredible items, his stomach growled. Laby couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten. He might not be drinking anymore, but he wasn't taking care of himself the right way, either. He knew he needed to get it together and stop that soon, or he'd be useless against Zell.

"You're a Goddess, Kimberly," Laby told her. "Thank you." He took the food and headed upstairs, ready to spend the rest of the night watching over Josh.

 _ **OLLIE**_

He sat with his father and Sage as they struggled to come up with a plan that might actually go somewhere. So far, nothing had been good enough. Ollie had insisted the Chosen go back to their lives until they knew what they were going to do.

Suddenly, Sage's doorbell rang. Sage got up and answered the door. Her mother's friend Dean stood on the other side. "Hey, Sage," he said. "Colby figured out what's going on and called me… And I brought some help." He stepped aside to reveal two more people. Ollie recognized one.

"Sophie," he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Dean said there was trouble, and we might need to get around Zell's minions. I'm good at that," Sophie said.

"And your friend?" Ollie asked.

"My name is Stephen," the man replied. "I'm Sellie's boyfriend."

Ollie exchanged a glance with his father. Neither of them had known Sellie had a boyfriend. Ollie was slightly ashamed he hadn't thought to ask. Maybe they'd been taking Sellie for granted.

"So, we're here to fuck up some bad guys and get my girl back… And the kids, too, because fuck people who hurt kids," Dean said. "Do we have a plan, or can I just start stabbing assholes with my fork?"

"As amusing as that would be, I think we need a plan," Sage said. "But now that you guys are here, I'm starting to come up with one."

"Great. What is it?" Sophie asked.

"First of all… Stephen, I sense great power in you," Sage said. "I know what Dean and Sophie can do. What's your deal?"

"I'm telepathic… And telekinetic… And I can teleport. Oh, and I can mess with time, too," Stephen said.

"Wait… We can use that," Ollie said. "If he can freeze the pocket realms, they may stabilize enough that Tia can open a portal specifically to Luke and Lucy so we can go after them."

"Sage… Will that work?" His father asked.

"I think it might, actually," Sage said. "So that gets us a way to save the twins… Now… Sellie."

"I still stand by my suggestion," Dean said. "Zell wouldn't know how to handle me. I'm a lunatic."

"You are, but so is he… But, I think Sophie should be able to get in. The problem is, Zell's surrounded the property with a labyrinth, so everyone who enters becomes trapped and lost," Sage explained.

"My portals short out electronics… What if they could short out magic, too? Maybe the energy they give off can temporarily short out his labyrinth," Sophie suggested.

"I like it… But we can't risk your lives or Sellie's on a maybe… We need to be sure," Sage said.

"So let's do a test run. If someone casts a spell, I can see if I can break it by opening a portal."

"I'll do it," Dean said. "That way, if anything goes wrong, no one else gets hurt."

"I don't want you getting hurt, either," Sage said.

"I trust Sophie with my life. I'll be fine. Besides, I'm hard to kill."

Sophie shrugged. "Let's do it," She said. "Um… But not here. I don't want to short out all of Sage's electronics."

"My caveman will be pretty upset if he can't watch his _novellas_ ," Sage agreed.

"Um… Should I even ask?" Stephen asked.

Sage laughed. "Probably not."

They all moved to a new location. Ollie watched in fascination as Dean cast some sort of shield. Sophie opened a portal of fire and everything went dark. Dean let out a yelp. " _That_ stung," he said with a laugh. "Let's go again… I'll try something bigger."

This time, Dean summoned what appeared to be some pretty dark magic. "Bring it, Sophie," he challenged her.

Sophie opened another portal. Ollie watched it closely. "I've never seen portals made of fire before," he said. "It's like she's got Brian and Tia's powers combined."

"Sophie's unique," Sage said. "And she's gotten really good at what she does."

They kept this up until Sage said, "Okay, enough of Dean's magic… Try _mine_."

Sophie nodded. "Let's do this," she said.

Sage and Sophie went back and forth with Sage creating increasingly difficult spells and Sophie knocking all of them at least slightly off-track.

"It's not perfect," Sophie said, "but it's definitely enough to get me in and out without an issue."

"Great. Take me with you. I'll watch your back," Dean said.

"Not tonight," Sage said. "You both need to recharge first. We'll do this first thing in the morning."

"I could go after the twins tonight," Stephen offered.

"Are you sure?" Ollie asked.

"Yeah. I'm good… If you can get your friend Tia to join us."

"Let me call her quick." Ollie walked away and called Tia, who immediately agreed to help. She showed up via portal shortly after. Dean and Sophie had left to head back to Sage's and rest.

"How may I assist?" Tia asked.

"We need you to open a portal to the pocket realm loop," Ollie said. "Stephen here can freeze time, and we're pretty sure he can freeze the loop so we can go after my siblings."

Tia nodded. "Very well. Are you ready now?"

"If you are," Stephen said. "I can't help Sellie yet, but her entire life is about helping kids, and she's adopting Lucy… She'd want me to help the twins if I can."

Tia closed her eyes and focused. Then, she opened the portal into the realm which contained the pocket realms. The others went through the portal before it closed. Ollie's chest felt tight. "We're sure this will work, right?" He asked.

"No… But it's the best plan we've got," Sage said.

"It will work," Tia said firmly. "I believe we will find your brother and sister tonight, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that belief is correct."

"Thanks, Tia… I trust you," Ollie said.

Tia nodded before looking at Stephen. "You must freeze it _as_ I open it," she said.

"I'm ready," Stephen promised.

Tia opened the next portal. Stephen focused and suddenly, Ollie lost track of what was happening.

 _ **LUCY**_

It was cold in this realm. Lucy wasn't used to things like snow, but they were surrounded by snow and darkness and ice now. She clung to Luke as she shivered.

"S-so c-c-cold…" Luke mumbled.

"We'll b-be o-okay, Luke," Lucy said. "We'll get o-out o-of here…"

Luke tried again to open a door. This time, nothing happened. He frowned. Lucy shared his expression. Their powers hadn't failed, they just hadn't been able to escape.

She was starving. She wondered how long they'd been trapped there. She shivered and Luke moved closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to warm her up.

"Luke… I… I'm sc-scared," Lucy admitted.

"Me, t-too," he replied.

Suddenly, the air seemed to change. A portal opened up in front of them, but it froze halfway through. "Tia!" Luke cried, spotting her. Tia looked like she was struggling against something. She didn't move.

"Um… I think she's frozen," Lucy said, already feeling warmer as air from outside of the realm made its way in.

"They _all_ are," a familiar voice said. "But I'm not… And they'll unfreeze as soon as I let go of time."

"Stephen!" Lucy cried in relief. "Luke, come on! We need to get out of here! What Stephen does only lasts for so long."

Luke was still shivering. He followed her lead, clinging to her as she led the way out of the realm. They barely made it through the portal before it slammed shut behind them. Tia, Ollie, and Jason sprang back to life. Sage looked like she'd been moving the entire time.

"Ollie!" Luke cried. He ran to their brother. "Sage, Dad… You guys came for us!"

"Of course we did," Jason said. He looked at Lucy. "Are you okay, honey?"

"Where's Mama Sellie?" Lucy asked Stephen.

"Zell has her," Stephen said numbly. Lucy knew he was trying to be brave for her sake, but she could tell how upset and worried he was.

"We have to get her back!" Lucy cried.

"We will. We have a plan in place," Sage reassured her. "Dean and Sophie are back at my place resting. They tested out a theory today. Tomorrow, they're going to rescue Sellie."

"Can we help?" Lucy asked.

"Not this time, Kiddo," Stephen said. "The less people involved, the easier it will be for Sophie and Dean."

She nodded. She understood when he put it like that, even if she hated knowing Sellie was in danger and she couldn't help.

"I'm so glad you guys are safe," Ollie said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm cold… And starving," Lucy said.

"Ditto," Luke added.

"Lucy, would you be okay with crashing with Jason tonight?" Sage asked.

Lucy frowned. "Do I have to?" She asked.

"You can't stay at your place alone," Sage said. "But I figured you wouldn't mind spending the night with Luke."

"I guess… Just for tonight." Lucy had to admit, she wasn't ready to be away from Luke after everything that had happened.

"Great. I'll order food for everyone," Sage said. "Come on. Let's get out of this realm so we can relax for a little while. I think this has been enough excitement for now."

"Amen," Ollie agreed. They headed out of there and Lucy was really relieved to be safe. Still, her heart ached. Sellie… Her mom… was missing. Lucy didn't know what she'd do if she ever lost Sellie.

"You won't find out," Stephen promised. She'd apparently been thinking too loudly. "I won't let anything happen to her. They'll have to go through me."

She tried to take comfort in his words. Lucy knew how much Stephen loved Sellie, but would that be enough to keep her safe from whatever Zell had planned for her?

 _ **MORA**_

She was finally starting to regain consciousness. Mora thought she was imagining it when she heard a familiar sound. "Mora… Mora, do you read me? Over…" A voice said.

"Sprocket?" Mora mumbled in confusion. She pulled out her hidden communication toy from under her pillow. "Sprocket, is that you?" She asked.

"Mora! Yes, it's me. I've been trying to reach you for days."

"I've been unconscious…" She sighed. Her entire body ached, and her heart ached even more. "How are you calling me, Sprocket?"

"I found this in the old base… I was hoping you still had yours."

"Sprocket… I'm scared…" Mora said softly.

"Scared?" He repeated. "What's wrong?"

"It's… It's Great Zell… He hurt me, Sprocket… Really badly… Because I got scared and technically helped Kimberly when she tried to escape. He punished me… And he…" She shook her head. "He's awful! I was wrong about him. I'm so scared, Sprocket… He's going to keep hurting me, I know it…" She felt tears in her eyes. "He stole my energy… And the way he did it… I'm just so frightened…"

"Mora, my friends can help you…"

"They hate me. They'll hurt me, too." She started to sob harder. "I actually miss that sourpuss Emperor Gruumm… I want to go home!"

"SPD is here. They can send you back… If that's what you really want."

"Anything is better than this! What do I have to do?"

"When you can get away, come find me… I'll bring you to them, and if you help us, we'll protect you. I promise."

"How do I know they can be trusted?"

"They took me in, Mora. I had no one else, but Greg and the others take really good care of me. They're good people."

"That's the problem. I'm a villain, Sprocket."

"So was I, but they helped me anyway. They're pretty forgiving."

"Of you maybe… But I saved Great Zell's life… And I helped lure Tommy Oliver into a trap… They're not going to be so quick to forgive me."

"Do you think they'll do anything worse than what Zell's doing?"

"No… So I guess I'll see you soon." She disconnected the call before taking several deep breaths. Sneaking out wouldn't be easy, but she'd find a way. Mora knew she had to get out of that house. Zell didn't trust her anymore. That meant her days were numbered. This was a simple matter of survival, and Mora was _very_ good at surviving.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

 _ **BRIAN**_

Boredom had driven him to go for a walk in the woods. Brian began thinking about his mom, his dad, and his two little sisters. They were back in Korea, while Brian was on his own in the United States. Although he'd always wanted to live in America, he missed his family terribly. He called them, but probably not enough. Brian decided to call them as soon as he had a reliable cell signal.

He started making his way out of the woods when he smelled smoke. Concerned, Brian immediately headed toward the source. What he discovered was a boy who looked around his age standing over a burning mass on the ground. Brian could feel the magic he was using, and it was clearly dark. With horror, Brian realized the mass on the ground was a corpse. Without stopping to think, Brian put the fire out. He could clearly see that the victim had been a teenage girl. The parts of her that hadn't started to burn yet were covered in bruises, cuts, and other obvious signs of torture.

The boy turned to him and glared. Flames flashed in his eyes."Neat trick," Brian commented casually.

" _You..."_ The boy hissed. Then, he laughed. "Imagine my luck to have one of the Chosen stumble across me disposing of my toy..."

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Brian asked.

"You are Chosen Gold."

"I go by Brian, actually. And _you?"_

"You probably know me as Nine, but call me Bax... At least until I kill you. Great Zell will know my worth _then!"_

"Nine... Wait. _You're_ the asshole who put his hands on Liza? Oh, you have _so_ got to go!" Brian summoned his Chosen armor, knowing he'd need extra protection to face off against one of Zell's minions.

Bax was no pushover, but given that Liza seemed genuinely afraid of him, Brian wasn't surprised by that. As Bax flung spells at him, Brian did his best to dodge them and attack back with blasts of fire. Bax changed his tactic, throwing in some serious Martial Arts moves Brian hadn't expected.

Brian could fight. His mother was a skilled Martial Artist and she'd taught all of her kids the basics. Brian might be goofy, but he still had that discipline drilled into him when it mattered. He took a deep breath to center himself before countering one of Bax's attacks.

Bax cursed in surprise. He attacked again, this time with a kick aimed at Brian's chest. Brian grabbed his leg in mid-air and flipped Bax onto his back. Frustrated with Brian's apparently unexpected skill, Bax shifted back to using magic. Brian barely dodged the spell, back-flipping away just in time.

Back on his feet, Bax set the area around them on fire. Brian immediately shifted his focus to putting the fire out, saying, "Smokey the Bear says only _I_ can prevent forest fires!" He kicked Bax hard in the chest as he finished his sentence.

As Bax struggled to catch his breath, Brian kicked him again. Then, he summoned his sword. "Fuck this..." Bax mumbled. Suddenly, he vanished into thin air.

"Whoa! That's _cheating,_ you chicken!" Brian called after him. He took a minute to catch his breath before sending his sword away. Brian looked around the woods to make sure all traces of fire had been extinguished. Then, he knelt beside the dead girl.

"I'm sorry," Brian whispered. If he'd gotten there sooner, maybe he could have saved her. He couldn't be sure how long she'd been dead. Seeing her semi-charred remains, Brian was hit with an unwelcome flashback.

 _The plane was on fire. Men, women, and children burned around him. He covered his mother and the flames on her went out. He clung to her for dear life, not knowing how he'd done it, and got her out of the plane. Then he ran back inside to see if he could save anyone else. It was too late. They were all dead._

 _I failed them,_ Brian thought. _Just like I failed you._ He sighed, grabbing her bag which had only partially been consumed by flames. He found her cell phone. Turning on the screen, he saw the girl smiling back at him with a puppy in her arms. Her student ID was tucked into the phone. "Abigail Godfrey... Angel Grove High... Freshman..." He read aloud. He felt tears in his eyes. "You were still a baby..." He whispered.

A text message came through as he held the phone in his hands. _Abby, where ARE you?_ It demanded. The contact said _Dad._ Brian began to cry harder as he realized Abby would never be able to answer that text.

Suddenly, a comforting hand touched his shoulder. Brian looked up to see Caius standing beside him. He didn't ask how Caius had known where to find him, figuring a vision had sent him there.

"I'm sorry, Brian," Caius said soothingly. "But trust me, you did everything you could... And thanks to your intervention, we can return the girl's body to her family and give them a small bit of closure."

"Abby," Brian corrected him.

"Abby?"

"We can return _Abby_ to her family."

"Abby," Caius agreed, understanding now.

"A _real_ hero would have been able to return her _alive..."_

Caius looked at him sympathetically. "Brian... There was no way to save Abby. She was dead before Bax even brought her to the woods. Bax is growing restless because Zell has given him nothing to do since right after he recruited him. He is not a patient boy. He tried to target Fran, but someone interfered... I didn't see that clearly. Bax targeted an innocent to find an outlet for his psychotic need to harm others."

"And I just _happened_ to stumble across him?"

"No. I don't believe in coincidences. I think Zell knew what Bax was up to and put it in his mind to destroy the evidence here. I think Zell was hoping that either Bax would succeed in hurting you or that being unable to save the girl would break something within you... You must not let this break you, Brian. You are stronger than that."

"I don't feel strong right now, Caius... She was younger than _Tammy."_

"I know... And it sickens me what he did to her... But you truly did all you could."

"I feel like I failed her... Like I failed the people on the plane."

"Oh, Brian... You are _so_ like Quintus..." Caius sighed sadly. "He never got over losing the people in his village, or the people in his son's mother's village. Yet he always wore a smile..."

"Everyone expects me to be happy and carefree, so that's who I am... Most of the time, it comes naturally, but... Sometimes..."

"Sometimes, it's difficult," Caius finished for him. "Quin was the same way. Your ancestor felt it was his duty to smile and make others laugh. But, Brian... Sometimes, it's okay to break. The Chosen are destined for difficult paths, but none of you are alone. You have each other, and you have me. You even have an army of generations of Power Rangers, which is something we never had. You have support. Try not to carry your burden alone... And remember... The Chosen's greatest strength comes from trauma, grief, and suffering. Everything you're feeling will only make you stronger, but you _have_ to process it first."

"If suffering and trauma makes us stronger, we should be unstoppable by now." He flashed Caius a grin to let him know he _was_ actually feeling a little bit better.

"Indeed," Caius said, smiling at him sadly. "Why don't you head home, Brian? I'll make sure Abby is taken care of and returned to her family."

Brian nodded. "Thanks, Caius."

"Of course."

Brian headed back home. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Bu!" His mother answered cheerfully.

For once, Brian didn't complain about the use of his legal name. "Hi, Mom," he said. "I just wanted to call and check in and tell you I love you... I miss you guys."

"We love and miss you, too, Baby," she replied. "I'll probably be coming soon... I want to meet my Goddaughter."

"You're... You're not flying, right?" Brian asked nervously.

"No, Bu... I'll have the Alphas teleport me... I think that's for the best until Zell's not an issue anymore."

"Me, too!" Brian said with relief. "Mom... I can't wait to see you."

"Is everything okay, Sweetie?"

"It's just... I _really_ miss you. But I'm okay," he promised.

"Good. Hang on, everyone else wants to talk to you, too."

Brian relaxed as he talked to his sisters and his father. Everything felt familiar and safe, and it was good to connect with his family and talk about things other than battles and saving the world. Between the pep talk from Caius and that, Brian felt much more like himself. He knew now he could face whatever the bad guys threw his way.

 _ **TIA**_

She'd found a fairly secluded spot on the beach to practice her magic. Tia needed to focus, and Tessa and Imani were being a tad too distracting. Since Tanya was home, she insisted Tia take some time for herself.

She'd cast a pretty powerful attack spell when she felt someone watching her. Tia flung the spell in the direction of whoever it was. He cursed.

"Bitch!" He shouted. "Of course, you're a Campbell, so I should have expected that."

"How do you know me?" Tia demanded.

"I'd know the Campbell line _anywhere,_ Chosen Yellow... But I _also_ know you from Great Zell's hit list."

"Who _are_ you?"

"The name's Bax, but your slut sister calls me Nine."

Tia reacted quickly, punching him square in the mouth. "Do not _ever_ call Liza that again," she said harshly.

"Why not? It's _true._ I'm Nine, but she's probably on ex number twenty-seven by now. Maybe more."

Tia glared at him. He clearly wasn't very bright. She hit him with a spell that knocked him back several feet. "Disrespect my sister again and I will break your jaw," she informed him.

"You Campbells sure do like to make threats."

"It is not a _threat_ when I am fully capable of following through... It is a _warning."_

He laughed. "Sure, Yellow. Keep telling yourself that, but poor little Liza couldn't handle me, and neither can _you..."_

"You will find my sister and I are quite different."

"Yeah, I can see that. At least _Liza_ knows how to have a good time... I bet I can fuck that stick out of your ass-" He tried to grab her arm.

Tia hit Bax with a powerful attack, knocking him down hard. " _No one_ touches me without my consent," she said firmly. _Do not fear him. You are not the frightened girl you were in Africa... You are stronger than that by far,_ she told herself.

Bax looked stunned for a moment. He returned to his feet. "Fucking Campbell bitches..." He mumbled.

Tia summoned another attack, but someone flung a shield up to protect Bax. "Seriously, Bax? You struck out with the fire starter, and now you went after the one with the strongest magic? You are _such_ a fool! I don't know why I'm bothering to save your ass," the girl who'd cast the shield said as she held it steady.

"Fuck off, Zizi. I had the bitch handled," Bax said sharply.

"Yeah, sure, it looks like you had her right where you wanted her," Zizi replied, rolling her eyes.

The energy of the beach shifted as more people arrived. Tia recognized the Alchemist and the Warlock. She didn't know the other three, but they radiated the energy of Eltarian Rebels.

"All this effort for _one_ girl? It hardly seems necessary," one quipped.

" _That_ is Galaxia Campbell's Chosen heir," the Alchemist said firmly. "Do not dismiss her as a helpless child, Neighbelle."

"A _Campbell,_ eh? Oh, _this_ will be fun!" Neighbelle began gathering energy. Tia braced herself for whatever the Sorceress had up her sleeve.

The spell was exceptionally strong. Even Tia's shield was not enough to deflect all of it, and she let out a scream of pain as some of the attack still hit her. The pain didn't stop Tia from fighting back, however. She quickly flung a counter spell at Neighbelle that knocked all of the Eltarians onto their backs.

"Oh, she's _good,"_ Neighbelle said with a psychotic laugh. "But _I'm_ better." She cast another spell. This time, Tia felt the air leave her body, and no matter how much she struggled, she couldn't draw a breath. Choking, she dropped to her knees.

 _Enough of this,_ Tia thought. She clutched both Galaxia's amulet and the one containing the Chosen power boost in her hands. A blast of energy burst from her, knocking everyone back. Tia quickly opened up multiple portals, flinging most of the Eltarians into separate ones. Even the Alchemist and Warlock were flung through portals, although Tia knew they'd find their way out the quickest.

Neighbelle remained. She looked at Tia and nodded. "Impressive. I underestimated you, Little One... But don't worry. I won't make that mistake again," she said.

Tia was stunned at what she had done. She'd never opened up multiple portals at once before. In fact, it was only a rumor that Galaxia had possessed that ability. Most of the family had come to believe this is was merely a folktale to emphasize how powerful the Matriarch of the Campbell line had been. Apparently, it wasn't just hype after all. She looked down and realized with shock that her talisman had shattered... She'd absorbed the duplicate powers.

Neighbelle was regrouping and gathering energy for another attack. Tia knew she was still in over her head. She braced herself for the next attack, ready to deflect as much as possible. When it came, Tia quickly levitated into the air to get out of its path. She then kicked Neighbelle in the head. Neighbelle let out a cry of surprise as she stumbled backward.

Tia prepared for another attack. That was when something burst through her. She crashed to the ground. The pain told her she'd been shot. She looked up and saw who had shot her. She realized in horror that she knew the uniform.

"Time Force..." She registered softly. The Red Ranger held the gun steady on her, ready to shoot her again. "Wes... What are you _doing?_ Has he turned you?" Tia asked weakly.

The Red Ranger did not respond. Instead, he fired again. Weak from blood loss, Tia put up a magic shield that deflected the bullet. He tried again, and again, the bullet missed its mark. He grew more frustrated.

"I do not wish to harm you, Wes... But I will if I must," Tia said firmly.

"It's cute how she thinks you will surrender to her pathetic threats," Neighbelle said with a laugh.

He fired again. With Neighbelle casting magic against Tia's shield, it began to fail. Another bullet tore through her. Tia had nothing left... Except for _one_ thing.

Tia touched her blood to the ground. "Blood to blood, I call thee here!" Tia cried. "Campbells from across the land, hear my plea! Come to my aid!"

The army of creatures from the sea who suddenly appeared in the water and on the beach told Tia that Imani had responded in the safest way possible and sent her friends to help. She could feel a power boost from both Tessa and Tye, who had direct ties to her magic.

"What on all of Eltar...?" Neighbelle asked at the sight of the animals.

A shark swam right to the shore, snapping at Neighbelle, who jumped back several feet where there was no water.

"Tia!" A voice called. She looked up and was relieved to see Taylor running toward her. Liza was right behind him.

"Stay the _fuck_ away from my sister, Bitch!" Liza shouted. She focused on Neighbelle. "Wes? When did _you_ get here?" Liza asked as she prepared an attack. "Whatever. Get Tia out of here, would you?"

"No, get away," Tia said weakly.

"Liza... That's _not_ Wes," Taylor said. "Not unless his entire energy signature changed."

"Of _course_ it's Wes. Look at the uniform." She cursed. "Zell must have turned him!"

In response, the Red Ranger attacked her. "Liza!" Tia cried out.

"I don't _think_ so, Dick!" Taylor said. He grabbed him and shot energy at him at close range, knocking him to the ground. His suit was smoking. Tia knew his chest was going to be burned even with the suit to protect him. She was surprised his morph didn't fail. " _Time for Time Force_ to go the _fuck_ to sleep," Taylor said. He reached for the helmet. Tia knew if Taylor could touch him, he could drain his life force enough to knock him out.

Neighbelle attacked Taylor before he could pull off the helmet. "Taylor!" Liza and Tia screamed in unison.

Liza was on her feet again. She prepared to attack Neighbelle. "Liza, _no!"_ A voice shouted. Someone jumped in front of all three Campbell siblings. She spread her arms out protectively and a powerful shield wrapped around all of them.

 _"Kizzie..."_ Neighbelle hissed.

"If you attack her now, the spell she just cast will only absorb your efforts and become ten times stronger," Kizzie explained to Liza. Then, she glared at Neighbelle. "Same old parlor tricks, Neigh? I'm almost disappointed."

"I'll see you _dead,_ you wench!" Neighbelle screamed.

Before she could attack, both Neighbelle and the Red Ranger vanished. Tia knew Zell had pulled them out of there.

"You alright, Luv?" Kizzie asked Liza.

"Nothing I can't handle... But Taylor's hurt, and Tia 's losing too much blood... I think Wes shot her, " Liza replied frantically.

"That _wasn't_ Wes," Taylor insisted. "He felt a lot like him, but... Not."

"Zell must have turned him. You know that changes someone's energy," Liza said. "Now, shhh... Worry about _yourself,_ Taylor. You're _really_ hurt."

"Tia's worse. Save her. I'm fine," he said stubbornly.

"I could call Tedius for your brother," Kizzie said. "But there's no time to waste with your sister. I need to heal her myself." She sat beside Tia. "Luv... This is going to hurt," Kizzie warned her.

"It is fine... I can feel the bullet is still in me," Tia said.

"One, yes. The other went through clean. Don't worry, Luv. I'm good at removing bullets." She set to work, first patching up Tia's original wound. She stitched it shut before she began using magic to heal it. Tia gasped in surprise.

"Impossible..." She whispered.

"That one's set... Now for the tough one. Here, Luv... Bite down on this." She manifested a towel. Tia followed her instructions, too stunned by her realization to protest. The bullet was removed quickly, and soon, Tia was healed.

"Thank you..." Tia said softly as she studied Kizzie's features carefully.

"No problem, Luv... Happy to help," Kizzie replied casually.

"Kizzie... How did you end up here?"

"It was the strangest thing... I just had this incredible urge to come to this very spot rather suddenly. I certainly didn't expect to find that traitor here, though."

"I cast a spell..." Tia said softly. "A spell to call my blood line."

"Wait... The last time I did that, Kizzie showed up, too," Liza said, catching on. "Kizzie... Are you a _Campbell?"_

"In name only," Kizzie replied. "My father denied any actual blood tie to the line. I asked as a child."

"But, your magic..." Liza began.

"My mum was an Eltarian Sorceress. That is where my powers come from. My father had no magic."

"My spell didn't call those who shared my family name, Kizzie... It called my _blood,"_ Tia said. "Your father-"

"Lied to me," Kizzie said with a sigh. She shook her head. Then, she looked at Galaxia's amulet. "This belonged to her, right? Galaxia Campbell?"

"It did," Tia confirmed.

"May I?" Kizzie reached toward it. Tia allowed her to touch it. "Yes... _That_ explains it."

"What explains what?" Liza asked.

"The last time I saw Neighbelle, an unidentified ancestor claiming to be quite old came to me... She lent me power and helped me survive long enough to defeat that traitor. I assumed she was from my mother's line, however this amulet shares her energy. You are correct, Tia. Apparently, I _am_ of the infamous Campbell Sorcery line. I suppose my father was trying to protect me... I already had so much power from Mum and we were living in the Burning Times. As it was, Mum was burned at the stake... And I would have followed suit had Captain Smith not rescued me."

Tia was horrified by this story. "That is tragic... Although I am surprised your father would deny his heritage. We are taught to be proud of our bloodline," Tia said. "Surely after you were saved he could have told you?"

"He passed right after we lost Mum... Died in his sleep of a broken heart."

"Oh yeah, _he's_ a Campbell," Liza said with a laugh. "When we fall in love, it's the most intense thing in the world. We're very _ride or die._ In it forever. Hell, I think the only reason losing Zedd didn't destroy Xia was that he was still alive and she held onto that."

"That's true," Tia said softly. "Even of our mother..." She rarely spoke of her mother. It hurt too much. Still, her mind couldn't help but make this connection.

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked in a near whisper.

"When my father died, Mama was pregnant with Mani... Mama was so devastated by her grief, she stopped functioning. She sank into a deep depression. She wouldn't get out of bed most days, and even when she did, she would just sit and stare off into space. When Mani was born, I was the one who took care of her while our mother grieved. Mama refused to hold her or tend to her. She ignored her, or she'd look at her and cry. I think Mani reminded her our father was dead, and Mama could not handle that. I raised her for the first two years of her life. After that, Mama came back to us."

"How could anyone ignore _Mani?_ She's so cute and bouncy and happy..." Taylor asked. "Didn't she love her?" He added softer.

"Postpartum Depression," Liza said. "It can make a mother go nuts. They either feel disconnected from their kid or they can't love them or they just can't bring themselves to take care of them... With all the hormonal changes after giving birth, and the fact that she'd lost the love of her life, she went over the edge. Mani is lucky she had Tia... A lot of mothers with postpartum depression go fully nuts and either abandon their kids or straight-up ki-" Liza caught herself too late.

"Kill them..." Taylor finished for her quietly.

"Taylor, I'm sorry... I wasn't thinking," Liza said.

"If giving birth _once_ can give someone this thing, and a woman with a history of it is forced to give birth _repeatedly,_ back to back with no real breaks... It would come back, right?" He managed to ask. "Is... Is _that_ why she couldn't love us? Why she... Why she tried to ki...?" He shook his head. "I need to go."

Tia wrapped her arms around her brother. "Taylor, what our mother did is _not_ your fault. You did nothing wrong," she told him. Taylor often needed to hear that, but he was especially vulnerable now. Tia couldn't help but be annoyed at Liza's thoughtlessness, but she tried not to be _too_ angry with her impulsive sister.

"I was _born,_ Tia... And that was enough." He freed himself from her arms and began to walk away.

"Taylor, wait!" Liza called.

"Let him go, Liza. You have done enough," Tia said. Realizing that had been harsh, she added, "I know you did not mean to upset him. He will be alright... He just needs space."

"But he's hurt..." Liza said softly.

"He is healed enough," Kizzie said. "I sensed where this was heading and sent him some energy. His abilities kicked in and sped up his healing process."

"Thank you, Kizzie," Tia said. "I suppose we should get to know one another, since we are related."

"She should meet the rest of the Campbell Clan," Liza suggested. Her usual confidence had diminished significantly, but she was trying to act normal. Tia couldn't be mad at her then. It was clear she regretted her thoughtless words.

"Oh? Is it more than the three of you?" Kizzie asked.

"You haven't met the little ones. Imani's hilarious. You'll love her... And Tessa's shy but a complete sweetheart."

"You forgot to include Tye," Tia said. "If Kizzie is to meet all of us, Tye is included."

"Tye doesn't like being around people," Liza said. "She's too traumatized."

"I think meeting Kizzie would be good for her. She is clearly a strong woman Tye can look up to."

"Why thank you, Luv," Kizzie said in surprise. "I did not think you would feel that way about an Eltarian Rebel."

"From what I understand, your Chapter has honor... And it is clear to me you are a good person. I would not trust you with my sisters if I did not believe that."

Kizzie looked genuinely humbled. She smiled at Tia in a way that reminded her of portraits of Galaxia from her happiest moments. "Well, then, I would be honored to meet your sisters," Kizzie said.

Tia nodded. She began to walk, motioning for Kizzie and Liza to follow her. She knew in her heart it was urgent to bring this long-lost Campbell home.

 _ **TAYLOR**_

He hadn't made it far before he started crying. Taylor couldn't breathe as panic overwhelmed him. He finally sat down on another part of the beach and pulled out a blade.

 _Just this once,_ he told himself. _To take the edge off so I can breathe again. Then I'll stop._ He knew that probably wasn't true, but he lied to himself anyway.

Taylor pressed the blade to his arm. He had only drawn a drop of blood when a portal popped open and someone fell onto the beach. He dusted himself off and looked at Taylor with mild interest.

"The Warlock..." Taylor realized aloud as he stood up. He put the blade away quickly and braced himself for a battle.

The Warlock raised an eyebrow at Taylor's reaction. "Relax, Boy. At present, killing you serves no purpose. I would gain nothing."

"Bragging rights to your master is usually enough to motivate the others," Taylor said skeptically. "And it's Taylor, not _Boy."_

" _I_ am my only master," the Warlock said harshly. "The one you speak of is more of a business partner." He paused thoughtfully. "Even if I _did_ plan to kill you, would that not be easier than doing it yourself?" He eyed Taylor's wrist. "Such a tragic waste of blood... I could think of many uses for the blood of such a powerful incubus."

"Not interested, Freak."

"Poor boy... Unloved and abused... But there is hope... If you do not throw it all away and harm yourself... If you embrace your true power."

"What are you babbling about?"

"You are far more than an unloved boy, Incubus... And one day, you will do incredible things, if you only embrace that potential."

"Is this when you try to tempt me to the Dark Side by offering me cookies?"

"Light and Dark do not matter, Boy. Our _choices_ do."

"For a guy who never talks, you suddenly have a lot to say."

"I only speak when I have something important to share." He smiled at Taylor darkly. "Good luck, Boy." With that, he vanished.

" _Taylor,"_ he said. " _What_ is so hard about calling me _Taylor?"_ He sighed. That experience had certainly been unexpected and he had no idea what to make of it.

He sighed, wondering why one of the bad guys had felt the need to tell him he shouldn't hurt himself. Shouldn't he _want_ Taylor to be weaker? His words had not been kind or even comforting. Mostly, they'd annoyed him... And yet, Taylor knew the Warlock was right. He _had_ to stop cutting himself. Why make himself easier prey for Zell and Company? That was just _stupid._

Taylor pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Hello?" Nikki answered cheerfully.

"Nikki... Um... It's Taylor," he said.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Nikki asked knowingly. It was strange the way she used terms of endearment for him... Sometimes, Nikki was more maternal toward him than his own mother had ever been, and he barely knew her.

"I think... I mean, if you're not too busy, could I... Could we...?"

"I'm _never_ too busy for you, Taylor. You're the reason Zedd brought me to Angel Grove in the first place. Why don't you swing by my office? I'm just finishing up with Tommy. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Thanks, Nikki," Taylor replied. He hung up. Knowing he couldn't change his mind now, Taylor began heading away from the beach and toward the center of town where Nikki's office was. Her main office was in Briarwood, land of the Mystic Force Rangers, but she'd been staying in Angel Grove ever since the big battle that had cost too many lives and left a lot of people behind with survivor's guilt and grief and had opened up a smaller office in town. Becoming the official therapist of the Power Rangers, the Chosen, and the occasional monster who'd had a change of heart meant business was booming. Taylor suspected Nikki wouldn't be heading back home anytime soon.

 _ **PATTI**_

Laying low had seemed like a good idea to Patti after everything that had happened with the fire at the college. Now, however, she had been promised answers. "Patti?" A voice called softly.

Startled, Patti jumped and turned to look toward the sound. A Power Ranger stood before her fully morphed. That was kind of an impressive sight. Patti had only ever seen the Power Rangers on the news before now. "Yes..." She replied nervously.

"Look at you... All grown up..." He said in wonder.

"I'm sorry... Do I know you?"

"Only briefly, when you were an infant... I'm the Phantom Ranger. Patti, I know you're pretty confused about all of this, but I'll try to explain... You are a _very_ special girl. You come from a sacred crystal that was hidden on Earth for a long time before a man named Bradley Drew found it in an hour of great need. Bradley was a high school principal, and his students' lives were in peril. Bradley's heart was so pure, he was able to absorb the crystal into his body and use it to saves the lives of his students and staff. A brilliant, blinding light burst from inside of him and shielded them all from harm. It also knocked the people trying to hurt them clear across the property," he explained before pausing to let her process all of that.

"So, he had the same power I apparently do?" Patti asked.

"Yes... And he held onto it until he met a woman named Dimitria. Dimitria is not from Earth, but she is a powerful force of Good. She was being held hostage inside of a necklace by her sister, Divatox. Because Dimitria had a connection to the sacred crystal, Bradley was able to free her from the necklace. The two were still trapped and knew they might die at any moment. They clung to each other, and took comfort in each other... And Dimitria became pregnant. The pregnancy advanced quickly, and within hours, she was in labor. By the time my dear friend Cassie and her team of Power Rangers found her, she was about to give birth. Cassie and the young Rangers fought off Divatox, who was determined to murder the child before she could draw her first breath. Cassie's co-mentor Lucas worked with Bradley and delivered the baby, and the moment she was born, the crystal's light filled the room. It destroyed Divatox as soon as Cassie shoved her into it. The Rangers and the baby were safe, and Dimitria and Bradley were rescued."

"So this Divatox woman was killed by a _baby?"_ Patti laughed at the visual. "Okay, then what happened?"

"Bradley took the baby home... Dimitria had business to attend to. Bradley named the baby Krista Marie Drew, but he knew there could be no record of that. As it turned out, a very evil being named Zell had sent Divatox back in time to prevent the baby's birth. There was a prophecy that she would possess a pure energy Zell could never drain because it was untaintable. That baby would grow up to do a _lot_ of good, and Zell didn't want her to exist to spoil any of his plans... That meant the baby would never be safe if she remained in 1989 with her father. So, as much as it broke his heart, Bradley entrusted his daughter to me and asked me to hide her in the future. I brought the child to myself in 2002 and left instructions to find her a safe, loving home so she could grow up and be ready to fight when the time was right."

"2002..." Patti repeated. The year she'd been born, or so she'd thought.

"Patti... That child was _you,"_ he told her gently.

"Me... So you really _are_ the phantom my parents mentioned..." She shook her head, overwhelmed. "Phantom Ranger... What happened to my birth parents?"

"Well, Dimitria went on to mentor the Turbo Rangers in the 1990s... But I don't know what happened to her after that. Alpha Six might know... I'll ask him later. As for your father... One of Cassie's Rangers needed a guardian, and Bradley was hurting after being forced to send you into hiding, so he adopted her. He was as happy as he could be, but I know he missed you deeply... Which is why I've been eager to do this..."

"Do what?"

The Phantom Ranger motioned toward someone Patti couldn't see. As he came into view, he looked distinguished but sad. He smiled at her awkwardly before saying softly, "Krista..."

"I sort of go by Patti now..." She replied just as awkwardly. "But... I kind of like Krista." She paused. "And you're Bradley... Or... Or Dad? I already have a dad, but... But I always wanted to know about my birth parents... I'm rambling, sorry."

Bradley shook his head. "Don't apologize," he said softly. Then, he pulled her into a tight hug. "I've missed you so much, sweetheart..."

Patti felt like she knew him. His hug was very comforting. She hugged him back, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. As she felt tears in her eyes, the strange light burst from her, embracing this man who was actually her father. It felt right in a way that made it impossible to deny it was all true.

"I'll give you some privacy," the Phantom Ranger said. Somehow, Patti knew he was smiling beneath his helmet as he walked away.

"You grew up so beautiful..." Bradley said sadly. "Not a day has gone by in the last thirty years without me thinking of you... The Phantom Ranger tells me you're seventeen, but I don't know much else... I'd love to know more." He guided her to a bench.

"Well... I grew up about six hours away from here. My parents... The ones who raised me... They're great people. Mom's a second grade teacher and Dad's the guidance counselor at her school. He's always got a ton of advice because of that." She laughed awkwardly. Bradley smiled at her encouragingly. "I've always been happy and loved... I'm kind of a nerd and love learning new things. I skipped two grades... Fourth and eighth... So I'm a sophomore in college."

Bradley nodded in approval. "A girl after my own heart," he admitted. "I was a high school principal for a few decades before I retired. What are you studying?"

"I'm sort of pre-pre-med. I'm on the track that leads to the full pre-med program, but they don't let sophomores declare a major."

"What sort of medicine are you interested in?"

"All of it, really... But I want to be a surgeon... I want to help people, and surgeons can do so much good."

Bradley looked incredibly proud. "I'm sure you'll be a wonderful doctor, Kri... Patti."

"You can call me Krista if you want to," Patti said shyly. "I like the name... It feels right. Maybe I'll change it back one day, but for now, it's a nice nickname." She paused. "Do I have any other family? The Phantom Ranger said you adopted a daughter…" It stung a bit that he'd adopted some other girl but given her away, but considering what she now knew, Patti understood why he'd had to send her away. She was glad he'd had someone to take care of while she was gone.

He smiled. "Ah, yes… Hannah, your sister. She's wonderful. You'll love her. She's married to Roxy Savers, another former student of mine. They adopted a daughter, and her name is Lia. I have a sister, Nancy, who I'm very close to. She and her husband have two children, Kaylen and Claire. Kaylen's in town now… Like Hannah, Kaylen is a retired Power Ranger."

"Whoa… My cousin and sister are Power Rangers?" Patti repeated.

"Yes. So is Kaylen's husband, Austin. They have two children. Your cousin Claire is a surgeon, so I think the two of you would get along well. She is also involved in politics. She's got a daughter who's in college now."

Patti smiled. Suddenly, she'd gone from being an only child with just her mom and her dad to having a bunch of new family members. This would be interesting. "Can I meet them? Or would that be too hard to explain?"

"They all know about you, except for the kids. I'm sure they would love to meet you… I know I've been longing for the day you finally came home…"

"This has all been pretty insane," Patti admitted, "but I'm glad I got to meet you… I always felt like part of me was missing, but when you hugged me… It fell back into place. Is that weird?"

"My connection to the crystal is still very strong… And you are the manifestation of that crystal. Your birth delivered the crystal into the world in a form that could truly help it one day."

"Dad… Am I human or just an illusion created to hide the crystal?" She found the courage to ask.

"You're human, Krista. You're very much alive, and you have your own thoughts, emotions, and ability to make choices."

She nodded. "So I'm a freak, but I'm still human." She laughed sadly.

"You're not a freak, sweetheart. You're absolutely wonderful. You are a blessing this world desperately needs… And I love you very much. I have from the moment I saw you."

She relaxed then, looking at him with misty eyes. "Really?" She asked.

"I promise… I loved you dearly and knew I'd do everything in my power to protect you… And I still will."

"And… My mother? Dimitria?"

He sighed. "Dimitria was unlike any woman I ever encountered. In mere hours, I fell for her deeply… However, we could never be together. She had a different path to walk."

"Did she love me?"

"Of course."

"Dad… Honestly. All I keep hearing about, even from the Phantom Ranger, is how much _you_ loved me."

"Dimitria loved you, Krista. I promise you that. It was clear on her face the first time she held you… However, she knew the only way to protect you was to send you into hiding. It took some convincing on her part… I desperately wanted to keep you… But she made me understand why I had to let you go." He looked sad at the memory, and Patti was filled with a need to make him smile, so she hugged him automatically. It worked, and a small smile appeared on his face. "Dimitria was not an easy woman to love… She's quite different from other entities. She speaks in riddles… She can be terribly frustrating… But she's absolutely beautiful, both outside and in… And as hard as I tried, I never found anyone else who compared to her."

"Where is she?"

"I wish I knew… She was in Angel Grove in the 1990s, mentoring Cassie's Turbo team. She visited me while she was here, a few stolen moments between their battles, and I was incredibly happy for the time we had together… However, around the time that Turbo left to become part of the Astro, or Space Rangers and continue the fight, Dimitria left due to a battle on Eltar. She went there to assist with that fight… And I never heard from her again."

"She just… Vanished? Do you think she survived?"

"I think I'd feel it if Dimitria was dead… I can't guarantee that, but we are deeply connected because of you… However, I don't know why she vanished. Perhaps she had other missions, or perhaps she simply wished to live out the rest of her days in peace… Either way, I sadly have no means of contacting her."

Patti nodded, trying to take all of that in. Finally, she said, "So… Now what happens?"

"Now… If you are open to it… I would like to buy you lunch."

She smiled. "I'd like that. A lot." She touched his arm and said, "None of this makes logical sense, but being around you… I feel calm."

"I feel that as well." He smiled back at her as they headed away and Patti tried to process the fact that, for the first time, she was going to share a meal with her birth father.

 _ **LUCAS**_

He was surprised when Kira called and asked him to meet up with her. He was also worried. He hurried to the designated destination. "What's up, Kira?" He asked when he spotted her.

"Lucas… Have you talked to Wes recently?" Kira asked.

She looked entirely too serious. A million thoughts raced through his head. Was Wes hurt? Was Jen, or someone else from the team? Had one of his teammates been killed? "Not in a couple of days," he said with no emotion in his voice. "I checked in with him when Cassie and I got back, but we've only spoken once since. Why, Kira? What's going on?"

Kira sighed. "Okay, so here's the thing… Tia got attacked on the beach earlier."

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine, now. Kizzie healed her… Tia did one of those spells that summons Campbells for help, and as it turns out… Kizzie's a freaking Campbell. But that's not the point. Anyway, before that, Tia was doing pretty well holding her own. She sent a bunch of the Alliance Bitches through portals… Not one portal, but separate ones, which is awesome, but I digress. Only one remained, until someone else showed up… A Power Ranger… In a uniform she recognized."

"Who was it?"

"The Red Time Force Ranger… And he shot her. Twice."

"What? What do you _mean_ Wes shot Tia?"

" _Twice,"_ Kira reminded him. "The kids think he must have been turned evil like the others… Well, Liza and Tia do. Taylor was pretty insistent that it didn't feel like Wes, but obviously if he was turned, his energy would change… The uniform said pretty clearly that it was Wes, and Taylor admitted the energy was similar to his, just different."

"Shit…" Lucas mumbled.

"My sentiments exactly. But we'll add him to the list of Rangers we need to kidnap and fix, and-"

"No… I mean, shit, what if it's worse than that?"

"Worse than Zell turning Wes? How, exactly, is that possible? Other than him killing him?"

"Did they ever see him out of his morph, Kira?"

"No. Taylor tried taking off his helmet and, according to Liza, a resurrected, evil Eltarian Sorceress nearly killed him when he did."

"Even if they had seen him… They look enough alike…"

"Lucas? Care to fill me in? I'm lost."

"What if it's not Wes, Kira? What if it's Alex?"

"Alex? As in your _boss_ , Alex? Jen's ex-fiance, descendant of Wes?"

"Exactly."

She stared at him like he had three heads. "Okay… So you think Zell went to the future to turn Alex evil? Why? I mean, he's not even really active in things… He didn't even come during the last battle, he just sent all of you. He's a manager… He _manages_. He rarely gets his hands dirty. Why would Zell think to turn him when he could just grab Wes from right here in this time?"

"He didn't turn Alex," Lucas said softly.

"But you _just_ said-"

"I said it was Alex, not Wes. I never said he was turned."

"Why would Alex come back in time just to shoot Tia? In a Time Force uniform, no less?"

"He's been acting strangely… Messing with records, trying to lock Jen and the others out... Sage and the Phantom Ranger paid them a visit just to get their access back and try to decrypt the files Trip had… Alex is _insanely_ jealous of Wes. He thinks Wes turned Jen against him. Framing him would be pretty damn satisfying to him."

"Okay, but… Are you saying Alex is evil?"

"I'm saying Alex is power hungry and that could have been used to influence him… I think he might be working with Zell."

"On a scale of one to ten, if you're right, how screwed are we?"

"Eleven. Alex is really smart, and he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. He let us all think he was dead… Even Jen, his own _fiance…_ Just so he could manipulate us into doing what he wanted us to do." He shook his head. "I have to warn them. They have no idea they're in danger."

"Wait… We don't know for sure that this _is_ Alex, but if it is… He's probably watching them. If you call and blurt this out, he'll know he's busted and might attack them."

Lucas sighed. "You're right," he said. "I'm going to have to get creative." He forced himself to remain calm and tried to think outside of the box. Finally, he thought, _What would Cassie do?_ After all, Alex would never expect Lucas to take the crazy, out-there road when he could just make a phone call and inform them that they were in danger.

He began typing a message and hoped they'd figure out what he was trying to tell them before it was too late. _Help me out, Guys. I got teased for being on High Alert… My Defense was that even Tennessee Williams once said "We have to distrust each other. It is our only defense against betrayal." Liza says he's just a downer, but I think that's a Warning people need, right? I need to make them Understand. What do you think? Anyway Let's Explain why I'm right to Xia's descendant! Angel Grove awaits your response._

The message was long and rambling, like something Cassie would send, but he hoped his team would notice the wording and what he capitalized and understand what he was trying to say. It might be their only hope. He looked at Kira. "Get Liza. I need her on standby. If they can get away, they may need a portal to be opened to get them here quick, and I think she might be able to open a portal through time."

"On it," Kira said. She hurried off. Lucas took a deep breath and hoped he wasn't going to be too late.

 _ **TRIP**_

He stared at the message from Lucas in confusion. "Katie? Come here for a second?" Trip called.

Katie joined him. "What's up?" She asked.

"Lucas just sent me a really weird message… I think it means something else. Can you help me figure it out?" He asked quietly.

Katie looked it over. "Okay… Let's see… High Alert is capitalized. So is Defense… So he's warning us to be on alert, right?" She asked aloud.

"Yeah! And the quote seems important… Is he telling us not to trust each other? But… I _do_ trust you guys," Trip said with a frown.

"No… He's telling us there's _someone_ we can't trust… Someone who betrayed us…"

"More Ranger traitors? Oh no…"

"He mentions Liza specifically… But why?"

"I'm not sure… Warning is capitalized… So he's stressing that this is a warning, and one we need… We need to understand, because that has a capital, too…"

"Right… But why the hell did he capitalize Anyway, Let's, and Explain?" Katie wondered.

"ALE… He wants us to drink? No, that can't be right…" Trip shook his head.

"Wait… Xia's capitalized, but it's a name, so I ignored it… What do you get when you add X to Ale?"

"Very sick. You should never mix drugs with alcohol-"

"No, Trip! A-L-E-X… It's Alex! Lucas is trying to warn us that _Alex_ betrayed us."

"Oh! Right… And he's telling us… To get to Angel Grove?"

"Exactly! Probably via portal, because that's our only shot right now, hence why he used Liza's name. We need to warn Jen…"

"Come on. I know where she is." He quickly sent Jen a message. _Evil germs floating around. I think we're all infected… Our own bodies will betray us! Be careful. I'll come find you soon with a way to fight it. Listening to A Little Extreme Xylophone right now._

"A little extreme xylophone?" Katie asked.

"I had to spell out Alex, and nothing starts with X. It's not my fault," Trip said with a shrug.

She shook her head and laughed. "Jen's smart. She'll figure it out. Come on, let's hurry."

Trip agreed. He had a feeling they didn't have much time.

 _ **JEN**_

She was looking over a file when Alex stumbled into the record room. He pulled the door shut. "Jen… I need your help," he said.

She frowned, but didn't argue. "You're hurt," she observed. "What happened?"

"A fight got ugly. I'm okay, but I took some hits… My chest…" He unbuttoned his shirt and revealed a nasty burn.

"Alex! Oh my God… That's _really_ bad," Jen said. She immediately grabbed some supplies from the first aid kit that was kept in the desk of the records room. She began to disinfect the injury. Alex winced. "Sorry. I know it stings, but it'll help."

"I know… Keep going, it's fine," Alex said. "And thanks, Jen."

She nodded, focusing on taking care of him. She may not like Alex much these days or even trust him, but she still cared about what happened to him. Some habits were hard to break. As he breathed in and out shallowly, she knew how injured he actually was. "Who did this to you, Alex?" She asked.

"It doesn't matter. Just some punk kid who thought he was tough," Alex replied.

Her phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen as she gathered more supplies. She understood immediately. _Damnit,_ she thought. _Alex betrayed us and I'm stuck in a room with him. Breathe, Jen… Just pretend nothing's wrong._ She kept her face calm as she turned toward him and continued patching up his injury.

Alex winced again before gently grabbing her arm. "I appreciate your help, Jen… Especially since I know you're suspicious of me," he said calmly. He didn't let go of her arm, and instead, he tightened his grip.

"Alex, what are you talking about? Let go. You're hurting me," Jen said.

"Your jaw locked and you bit your lip. You're deep in thought and got news but don't want anyone to know… But those two things are your tells, Jen, and I know you too well not to notice them."

"You don't know me at _all_ , Alex," Jen said firmly. She pulled her arm free. "What's going on? Tell me the truth."

"The truth is that everything would have been fine if you'd just kept your nose out of things… But no. You're too obsessed with my ancestor. Well, he won't be an issue anymore!" He flashed the Red Time Force morpher in front of her eyes… The morpher Wes still had in his possession the last time she'd seen him.

"What did you _do_?" Jen demanded. "Where's Wes?"

"I'll never tell." He laughed before reaching for his gun.

Jen kicked his chest right where the burn was. He didn't see it coming, and he cursed in surprise as he doubled over in pain. He recovered quickly and chased after Jen, who'd made a run for the door. He tackled her to the ground, restraining her so she couldn't escape.

"Not so fast, Jen!" He said. "I need to make you forget this conversation ever happened."

"What?" She asked in surprise.

"I don't want to kill you, Jen… I still love you, you know… Even if you hate me. But I can't get you back if you know what I've done… Especially to Wes. I know you won't forgive me."

"Alex, be reasonable… If something happens to Wes, it will change your future."

"Not really. The kid I descend from was already born. I'll be fine either way."

"Please, Alex… Don't do this. You're _not_ evil."

"Then tell me you love me, Jen."

She stared at him. "Seriously?"

"Tell me you love me! Tell me Wes doesn't matter. Tell me you will obey me."

"That last part isn't love, Alex. It's control, and it's not okay. I'm not going to sit back and let you order me around… At least not in a relationship. Not anymore."

"Then I have to do this, Jen. It's that simple. You're my property, and I'm getting you back."

Jen was filled with fresh rage. She bashed her head against his, knocking him off of her. She saw with mild satisfaction that a thin line of blood trickled down from his mouth where the hit had connected. "I'm _no one's_ Goddamned property, Alex. And the next time you so much as hint at that, I'll shoot you myself."

"No you won't. You don't have the nerve to shoot me. You still care about me."

"I did… But if you hurt Wes, you're right. That's over."

Suddenly, Alex moved with impossible speed and grabbed her from behind. Jen reacted quickly, flipping him over her shoulder before he realized she'd moved and forcing him onto his back on the floor. "You're working with Zell," she said flatly. "You never had powers like that before."

"Zell made me a good offer. We're temporarily cooperating because we share a common enemy… And he understands needing to remind his lover where she belongs," he said.

Jen was disgusted and horrified at the same time. Just as he tried to attack again, the door to the records room was suddenly ripped off of its hinges. It flew through the air toward Alex and hit him, knocking him away from Jen. "It was locked," Katie said with a mock apologetic shrug.

Jen nodded at her. "We have to go," she said.

"I think Lucas has Liza ready for us," Trip said.

"Great. Come on, Guys." She grabbed onto them and they fled from the records room. They jumped into a transport unit, which would make the jump into the past significantly safer. A portal opened up and they sped through it. Only when they landed did Jen begin to shake.

"Jen… Talk to me," Katie said gently.

"I think he did something to Wes… We have to find him," Jen said softly.

"We will," Trip promised.

They got out of the ship and were greeted by Liza, who looked exhausted, Lucas, and Kira. Lucas immediately hugged them.

"I missed you guys so much…" Lucas admitted.

"We missed you, too," Katie replied. Trip nodded enthusiastically. Jen hugged Lucas a little tighter to show she was in agreement.

"Hey, Guys," Kira said. "It's good to see you here safe and sound… Were we onto something, or is Lucas paranoid?"

"It's true… Alex is a traitor," Jen said. The words were hard to say, but she couldn't deny it. He'd admitted it to her.

"Great. I'll spread the word… Now, we just need to figure out why he had the Red Time Force morpher."

"I think he attacked Wes… Hid him somewhere. He must have taken it from him when he did."

"Fantastic. I'll add finding Wes to my To Do list. In the meantime… Hang tight with Lucas for a bit. I'll get housing set up for you ASAP, and I'll have Dustin get you guys some food. You're probably starving."

"I'm not hungry…" Jen replied.

"Jen… You have to eat," Katie said. "You need your strength."

"She's right," Kira said. "I'll be back in a little while, okay? Just try to relax. This space is protected, so Alex can't just show up here. You made it. You're safe. We can figure the rest out later."

"On that note… I need a nap," Liza said.

"Come on, Kid. I'll give you a ride back home," Kira said, guiding the girl away.

"Are you guys okay?" Lucas asked. He noticed the bruise forming on Jen's arm and immediately looked homicidal.

"He looks worse," she promised him with a sad smile.

"I hope you kicked his traitorous ass."

"I did… And I'm just getting started."

Lucas sighed. "I'm just glad you understood my message."

"It took some teamwork, but Katie and I figured it out," Trip said with a smile. "So, how have you been, Buddy? It feels like I haven't seen you in forever!"

"I've been okay… The Wildcats are here with us. It was pretty incredible to see them all grown up… I'm still getting used to it."

"And Cassie? How is she? Are you guys still all _smoochy?_ "

Katie stepped in before Trip could keep going. "Take a breath, Trip," she teased him. "And Lucas and Cassie's relationship is none of our business."

"She's right," Lucas said firmly. "But Cassie's fine. Thanks for asking."

They caught up on each other's lives. Jen wished she could focus on the small talk, but she had too much on her mind. Alex was evil. _Alex._ She'd suspected he wasn't fully trustworthy, but she'd never thought he would betray them fully. And Wes was missing and didn't have access to his morpher. She closed her eyes and tried not to imagine Wes trapped somewhere horrible, waiting for whatever torture was about to be unleashed on him.

 _He'll be okay,_ she told herself. _He_ has _to be._

 _ **ARES**_

He knew as soon as they arrived what they'd walked into the middle of. Ares wanted to run, or to tell his family to get the hell out of there, but he knew that would only alter the future he'd seen… And if he changed things, they could turn out even worse. Ares knew what he had to do. He was ready.

"What just happened?" Caleb asked as the walls seemed to close in around them.

"I fear we have walked straight into a labyrinth," Caius replied. He looked nervous, but he kept his tone calm. "Do not worry. Stay together and we can fight whatever is about to come for us."

"How the hell did four people with freaking visions of the future not see this coming?" Dora asked with a frown.

Ares remained silent. He'd known this was coming, of course, but by the time he'd realized where they were, it was already too late. "Brother…" Caius called softly. "We must continue on."

Ares nodded. "Of course," he said. "Dora, darling, don't concern yourself with such details. Visions rarely work the way we want them to."

"Tell me about it! Ugh… What the hell good is our family party trick if we can't do it on command or when it would actually be useful?" Dora asked.

He smiled at her sadly. "I think we have all wondered that over the years." He kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Dora… I always will."

"Dad, why are you being so sentimental? Is something wrong besides the obvious?"

"I always told you that before riding off into battle. This is no different."

She nodded, but he could tell she was worried. Ares forced himself to keep walking until the labyrinth suddenly ripped them all apart. He could hear the others, but he couldn't see them. "Caius? Uncle Ares?" Caleb called. "Dora?"

"I'm here!" Dora shouted. She sounded far away.

"Stay vigilant and try to find each other!" Caius called.

Ares took a deep breath before pulling out his sword. He headed toward the sound of his brother's voice, knowing the battle was about to begin.

 _ **CAIUS**_

He knew they were in trouble, but he still didn't expect what happened next. It was rare that Caius was caught completely off-guard, but the appearance of Zell in the middle of the labyrinth did the trick. He stared at his old enemy, not even sure how to process the fact that he'd suddenly arrived.

"Hello, Caius," Zell said pleasantly, as though they were old friends reuniting for a bit of tea.

"Zell…" Caius said.

"I know you have been cursed with the terrible burden of unending life, my dear boy," Zell said. "I had to do it, to ensure that your son would be born. Now, however, I have no further need of you… So, my dear Caius… I have come to set you free."

Caius took a step back in surprise. He didn't have time to do anything else as Zell ripped away the immortality Caius had been cursed with for so long. It hurt more than Caius could process. He had never felt such physical pain before in his life, and he screamed in agony.

"Ah… Music to my ears," Zell said with a smile. "And now… I release you from your mortal coil, dear Caius… Enjoy being reunited with your lost love and the fallen Chosen…" Zell shoved a sword straight through his heart.

Caius couldn't even scream. He fell to his knees, clutching the sword in his chest. Blood covered his hands. Caius knew if he removed the sword, he'd bleed out instantly. Of all of the ways he'd imagined finally dying, this had not been one of them.

" _Dad!_ " Caleb screamed as he ran toward him. Zell vanished from sight, but Caius knew his Alliance members were still around.

Caleb had never reflexively called him that before. Especially since Caleb's adoptive parents had been slaughtered, Caleb had strictly called him Caius. Caius felt the slightest moment of peace and even joy as he heard the word, but that fell away as Caleb knelt beside him sobbing. His tears fell onto the sword. "I'll call Sage…" Caleb said. "Or… Or Taylor… Or Zedd… Someone can heal you…"

"He's immortal," Dora pointed out as she joined them. "He'll be fine."

"No," Caius managed to say. "He… Zell took it back… The immortality… He broke the curse…"

"No!" Caleb sobbed. He flung himself over Caius, refusing to let him go. Caius could do nothing to comfort his son and it broke his heart. "I can't lose you, too… I won't… I won't lose another father… Please…" He whispered frantically.

Suddenly, Ares appeared. "Dora… Take this talisman," he said, putting a necklace over her head. "It should free you long enough for you to find an exit and get help."

"Dad… I can't just leave you guys here. Uncle Caius is in bad shape. Come with me," Dora said.

"Please, Dora… You must go. I love you, sweetheart, but I need you to listen to me."

Dora finally nodded. She hurried off, promising to return shortly. Ares knelt beside Caius, careful not to hurt Caleb. "Brother… You must listen to me carefully," Ares said.

"Of course," Caius said weakly.

"My time came millennia ago… You are still meant to be here. You must protect the children, Caius… Protect the Chosen, especially your son… And protect Pandora."

"Ares-"

"Protect them with all that you possess… I know now why I am alive again, Little Brother… I was always meant to do this." Ares suddenly sliced his hand open.

"Ares, what are you doing?" Caius asked in horror.

"What I was given, I freely give to Thee," Ares said. He pressed his bloody wrist to Caius, letting their blood mix together. "Blood to blood, my eternal life force I give to Thee…" Ares looked into his eyes.

"Ares, no!" Caius cried in horror. "You cannot do this! You cannot leave me again! This is not the way!"

"This is the _only_ way, Brother," Ares said sadly. "And I have known that since the day you all saw Katherine return… _This_ was what _I_ saw… And I have made my peace with my decision. This is the right choice."

"Please… Don't," Caius whispered as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"I love you, Little Brother. I always will. Be strong. Protect the children. Do what you were meant to do." Ares took a deep breath and stood up. His knees were shaking.

Caius screamed as his new immortality began. The energy shot through him painfully. "Dad! Are you okay?" Caleb asked.

Caius couldn't speak, so he simply nodded to let his son know he wasn't dying on him. Instead, he slowly began to heal. Caius struggled to pull the sword out of his chest. He finally got it out and the wound immediately began to heal, but too slowly. Caius knew he wouldn't be able to get to his brother in time.

A split second later, a spear shot through the air. It went straight through Ares. Caius screamed in grief as his brother fell to his feet dead. He'd lost him… _Again_. He could not stop the tears which began to flow from his eyes.

Caleb stood up and stared at Ares in horror. He recovered quickly, grabbing a stray sword and fighting off the monsters that came toward them now. Dora reappeared. At first, she didn't see her father, and she immediately set to work helping Caleb. Then, she noticed him. She said nothing, but began attacking harder, screaming in her fury. She fought with the rage of a Goddess scorned.

Somehow, Caius suddenly knew Dora's mother had been an aspect of Freya. He was positive his brother had placed the thought in his head. He couldn't process things enough to say anything as his niece and son fought to try to slay the monsters. When none were left, the spell shattered, and the labyrinth vanished.

Dora knelt beside her father. "Asshole," she mumbled. She looked at Caleb. "It wasn't a way to get out…. It was just a simple protection charm. He just didn't want me here to witness his death." She tore the necklace off of her neck and nearly threw it. Instead, she clutched it and began to cry. Caleb gave her a tight hug.

"Dad… Dad, are you okay?" Caleb asked.

"I am still bleeding… The immortality has not taken fully yet…" Caius admitted.

Caleb immediately pulled out his phone and dialed a number. With the spell broken, it worked. "I need you… My dad's hurt," he said with a shaking voice.

A minute later, Sage teleported in front of them. She took one look at the carnage and asked, "What did I miss?" Then, she saw Ares. She was about to kneel beside him when she seemed to realize it was too late. "Oh, Gods…" She whispered. "Dora, are you okay?"

"I don't even know anymore," Dora admitted. "But I'm not injured."

Sage nodded. "I'll have your father teleported somewhere safe for now," she said softly.

"Thanks," Dora replied numbly.

"Caleb, take her to Thorn. He'll patch you up and you'll both be safe with him. I'll meet you after I help Caius."

"Okay," Caleb said softly. "Take care of him." He hugged her.

"I will," Sage promised.

Caleb took Dora and left, even though it was obvious he didn't want to. Sage sat beside Caius. "Oh, Caius… I am so sorry about Ares…" She told him.

Caius wanted to respond, but he'd forgotten how to speak. His grief was too extreme. He felt like he couldn't breathe. It had been a long time since he'd gone this far over the edge.

"Caius… Do you want me to call anyone? Zordon? Zedd?" Sage asked. He shook his head slowly. "Okay," she said. She began to heal him, not saying anything else as she mended his injuries. Only when that was done did she begin to explore deeper. Caius could feel her energy in his mind, trying to soothe him. It was comforting…

For once, Caius didn't allow himself to stop and think. He pulled Sage closer to him, trying to focus only on her. He couldn't look at his dead brother. He couldn't process the fact that he'd lost him again. He was still crying, but he forced himself to wipe away his tears as he moved his face closer to Sage. He needed to feel her… He needed to connect to her and remember that he was still alive…

He kissed her, pressing his lips against hers and trying to lose himself in her energy. It felt like the air returned to his lungs by force. He might have pulled away, but then, the last thing he expected happened… Sage kissed him back. She pushed her lips harder against his, seeming almost as desperate as he was for that connection. He hadn't felt like this in a long time… _Too_ long.

Caius had loved Julia, but even she hadn't connected with him on this level. Only one woman had ever been able to make him feel this incredibly lost and found simultaneously… And that had been Rose. Sage's ancestor. A rational part of Caius tried to stop himself. Sage was Rose's descendant. What if he was only kissing her because he missed Rose? She looked so much like her… But he knew that wasn't the case. Caius had stopped seeing Rose when he looked at Sage a while ago. Sage was someone else… Someone even stronger, and someone who made his heart whole again…

When they finally broke the kiss, Caius felt his tears return. This time, he allowed Sage to comfort him with her energy as she wiped away his tears. "Thank you…" He finally whispered.

"Anytime," she replied softly.

She helped him to his feet. Caius looked at his fallen brother again and took a deep breath. "I know he had to do this… He's right. I was meant to be here. He wasn't… The children need me… But that doesn't make it any easier to accept," he admitted.

Sage waved her hand and Ares vanished. Caius knew she'd sent him somewhere safe, just as she'd promised Dora she would do. "My mother knew she was going to die when she went after the Power Coins," Sage said. "She still did it… Because it needed to be done… But it destroyed something in me… Something I'll never get back. I understand how you must be feeling."

"I know you do." He managed to offer up a very sad smile.

"Come on," she said gently. "We're getting out of here." She held his hand and it gave him strength as they walked away from the last battlefield his brother would ever fight upon.


	17. Chapter 17

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _For those of you who have not read Aura Mackenzie's_ Avengers fics _(which you should totally go do), Sophie is the daughter of_ Hawkeye _and is married to_ Captain America. _These are details that will help make the beginning of this chapter make more sense. As stated previously, Sophie belongs exclusively to Aura, but she kindly lets me borrow her from time to time so Sophie can come play in_ Power Ranger _land. And if you're a wrestling fan, although I never explicitly stated it in the other fics, yes Dean is Dean Ambrose, a.k.a. Jon Moxley. What can I say? Sage and Thorn's mother kept interesting company when she was alive. Okay, enough chatter. Enjoy the chapter!_

 **CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

 _ **SELLIE**_

Her body ached. Her head was the worst, but all of her bones were sore. She'd endured a pretty savage beating from Micah and Estos. Sellie was pretty sure Micah was a sociopath, while Estos seemed to be more of a faithful lackey. Apparently, Tia had pissed them off, and they'd taken their frustration out on her and Fran.

Sellie had done everything in her power to protect Fran from harm. She'd deliberately used her quick wit and natural snark to piss off the Eltarians, causing them to focus much of their attack on her. She was okay with that because it meant Fran was safe.

Fran sat beside her now, cleaning her cuts with water and a towel. After finding Sellie half-dead and Fran screaming in terror, the Alchemist had stepped in and made Micah and Estos leave them alone. She had healed Sellie enough that she'd survive and advised her not to piss off the Alliance again. Then, surprisingly, she'd taken care of Fran. She had calmed her down before patching up her injuries and insisting she eat and take care of herself.

Enough time had passed that Sellie thought it must be the next day, but it was hard to tell from their cell. Suddenly, she sensed something familiar. The lights went out, plunging them into darkness.

"What's going on?" Fran asked nervously.

Sellie smiled. "I think the cavalry just arrived," she replied. She forced herself to move closer to Fran even though it hurt.

The energy of the entire building changed. "The barrier spells are failing," Sellie realized aloud.

"What? How?" Fran asked.

"Sophie must have fried the existing spells with a fire portal... I didn't really think of it, but spells run on energy and have electrical impulses... She shorts out electronics."

She could hear panic coming from outside of their door. "What's happening?" Someone asked frantically. She sounded like a scared little girl, but it wasn't Mora.

"Stay with me, Sharon," another girl replied.

"Callie, I'm scared," the girl admitted.

"I'll protect you. Stay _right here."_

"I don't understand... What just happened?" Zizi asked. Sellie had learned her name when she fed them that morning.

"I don't know..." The Alchemist responded.

"What is the _meaning_ of this?" Zell demanded. "Warlock, rebuild your labyrinth at _once!"_

"He cannot, my Lord," Felina said. "Whatever shattered the spell was too sudden and powerful. It knocked him unconscious."

Suddenly, Sellie heard someone loudly singing along to a song she recognized. Her smile grew significantly larger.

"What... The actual... _Fuck?"_ Callie asked.

 _"Hands... Touching hands... Reaching out... Touching me... Touching yoooooou! Sweet Caroline... Ba, ba, ba! Good times never seemed so good! I've been inclined to believe they never would!"_ The voice sang.

"Um... Sellie... Is that a friend of yours, or should I be scared?" Fran asked.

"That's Moxley," Sellie said with pride.

"Moxley?"

"In WWE, he's Dean... But on the indies, he's Mox, and that is _so_ much better."

"So... This is good?"

"Oh yeah... Trust me, Zell won't have _any_ idea how to handle Mox."

The door to the cell swung open as Dean finished singing the song. Sellie flung her arms around him. " _Sweet Caroline,_ huh?" She teased him.

Dean shrugged. "Hey, a wrestler _needs_ his entrance music... It was either that, or the _Captain America_ theme song in honor of Sophie," he said with a smirk.

"Where _is_ Sophie?" Sellie asked.

"Checking the area for anyone else we should be rescuing while we can." He looked at Fran. "Team Us?" He asked.

"One hundred percent," Sellie confirmed. "Fran, Dean... Dean, Fran."

"Hi," Fran replied awkwardly.

"Sup?" Dean replied with a nod.

"Dean! We gotta go!" Sophie called.

Dean led Sellie and Fran into the hallway. Most of the Alliance had fled, but the Warlock was collapsed on the floor. The Alchemist stood over him protectively. She didn't move to attack them, so Dean quickly moved past her. Sellie and Fran followed his lead.

Sophie greeted them with a grin. "Thanks for the save," Sellie said, hugging her quickly.

"Anytime," Sophie replied.

Sellie spotted someone nearby. "Scott?" She asked in confusion. The Red RPM Ranger looked like he was half-dead.

"Hey, Sellie," he said. His voice was hoarse. He'd obviously been tortured.

"You were on Corinth... When did you come back?" Fran asked suspiciously. Sellie couldn't really blame the girl. She'd been through too much.

"I got a message supposedly from Doctor K saying the team needed me... That it was urgent. I raced to the coordinates and was attacked as soon as I arrived. It's been... Days? Maybe even weeks," Scott said.

"He's going to need medical attention," Sophie said. "I did the bare minimum because we didn't have time for me to do more." They continued forward. "I couldn't find anyone else. If they're here, they moved them," Sophie explained as she prepared to open another portal. She disappeared around a corner.

An arrow shot through the air. It hit Dean as he jumped in front of Sellie. "Dean!" Sellie cried in alarm as it knocked him down to the floor. She looked up to see the person who'd shot the arrow.

"Bax..." Fran said nervously.

As he fired another shot, Sellie used her telekinesis to make him miss. "Sorry, but you're _so_ not _Oliver Queen_ ," she said firmly. As he tried again, she made the arrow fly into his foot. "You're not _Clint Barton,_ either," she informed him as he screamed in pain.

"Damn _right_ he's not!" Sophie said as she reappeared. She pulled out her own archery equipment and fired an arrow directly into Bax's chest. He let out a scream as he stumbled back and pulled the arrow out.

"Got any special arrows for immortals, _Captain Hawkeye?"_ Sellie asked.

"Let me see what I can come up with," Sophie replied.

"Mother fucker _seriously_ shot a fucking _arrow_ at me?" Dean asked, recovering from his surprise and pulling it out of his shoulder like it was nothing more than a splinter. He began laughing and declared, "Bitch, I'm from CZW! You have _no_ idea who you're fucking with." He proceeded to shove a fork right into Bax's neck.

Fran stared at this in shock. Scott started to laugh and ended up coughing up blood. Sellie hurried to his side to keep him from collapsing. "It's okay, Scott. Lean on me," she said. He nodded as he coughed again.

Dean automatically started pulling out wrestling moves, taking Bax down to the floor. He pulled his fork out of Bax's neck before pulling him into a submission hold. He didn't even blink as an arrow shot straight through Bax's forehead. It lodged itself there, dead center.

"And _that's_ how you shoot a mother fucking arrow, Bitch!" Sophie declared.

"Sophie! _Language,"_ Sellie teased her.

With Bax unconscious and down for the count, Sophie laughed at Sellie's comment before she tried to open another fire portal. This time, Zell appeared in their path. Felina stood behind him nervously. "I see you're not crispy anymore," Sophie quipped. "Let's _fix_ that."

"Felina... Go," Zell said. "I will handle this wretched child."

"But... My Lord..." Felina said.

"All is well. Go on."

Felina fled quickly. Fran cowered behind Sellie, who was still keeping Scott upright. Dean and Sophie stood in front of them protectively. "Sophie Rogers..." Zell said. "Your reputation proceeds you, my dear girl. To think, a _child_ could accomplish so much..."

Sophie zapped him with a nice dose of electricity. _"Stop_ calling me a _child,"_ she said sharply. It was true that Sophie was on the young side, but she'd been a legal adult for a bit now.

Zell laughed. "Apologies, my dear. You are much younger than I."

" _Everyone_ is younger than _you,"_ Sophie pointed out casually.

"This is not your battle, yet you keep putting yourself in the middle of my affairs."

"Protecting the innocent _is_ my battle, and Sellie is a friend. You messed with the _wrong_ person."

"Normally, I would try to recruit someone as skilled as you, however, I can already foresee that would not end well for me."

"That's the smartest thing you've said so far."

"My dear, I cannot allow you to leave with my guests."

" _Guests?"_ Dean repeated. "You make it sound like a vacation or something. _Tournament of Death_ at DJ Hyde's barn is more relaxing than this place. Of course, _I_ find ultraviolence relaxing, but most people don't."

Zell looked at Dean like he could not figure our what he was. "Insect..." He mumbled. He waved his hand and Dean flew into a wall.

Sophie reacted quickly, zapping Zell with more electricity. While this initially seemed to give him a power boost, as she continued the assault, it became clear he was struggling a bit with the sudden overload of energy.

"Is Dean okay?" Sophie called over her shoulder.

"Fran... Check him," Sellie said gently.

Fran knelt beside Dean. He mumbled something. Fran looked back at Sellie. "He said..." She blushed slightly. "He said _'mother f-er's_ gonna meet my fork...' Only, you know, he didn't censor it."

Sellie laughed. "He's fine," she told Sophie.

Zell was trying to fight back against Sophie's attacks, but he was too overwhelmed by the power. He couldn't filter it.

"He needs the energy tube!" Someone shouted. "Maya, get the Alchemist. She can call it forth."

"I'm on it," the Yellow Ranger standing in front of them said before running off.

The Crimson Ranger who'd spoken looked to the others. "Stay together and do _not_ let them escape!" He said.

"Hunter... My readings indicate that this girl is the one who shorted the systems out, both electronic and magical. She poses the biggest threat," the Purple Ranger said.

"Kendall?" Fran asked in a soft, horrified voice.

"That's _Miss Morgan,_ Fran," Kendall replied harshly.

"Oh, shit..." Scott mumbled. Sellie shared his sentiments.

"Maybe we shouldn't be using our names," the Black Ranger said.

"You're paranoid, Damon," the Ranger Sellie recognized as Riley said. "It's not like they're going to live long enough to escape and tell anyone anyway."

"You _asshole!"_ Damon said, attacking Riley.

"Boys!" Kendall said, getting between them. "This is _not_ productive."

Sellie hadn't met any Rangers named Damon or Maya, but she filed the names away for later. If they were former good Rangers like Sellie suspected, Kira's master list would tell them which team they'd come from.

The evil Rangers turned their attention back to the fight. Hunter was preparing to attack Sophie, who had to keep her energy focused on Zell. Dean was back on his feet, and he attacked Hunter, tackling him to the ground. When Damon tried to follow that attack up, Sophie took a second to knock an arrow.

"Sophie, don't kill him! I think all of these Rangers were turned. He can't control his actions right now," Sellie said urgently.

Sophie shifted her bow before releasing the arrow. It tore through both of Damon's legs, piercing his suit and causing his morph to fail.

"Damn, Soph! Your arrows pierce through morphs?" Dean asked. "Badass!"

"That was an electrical one. The Morphin' Grid runs on an electrical current. It's science," Sophie said with a shrug as she resumed focusing on Zell.

It stunned Sellie when Riley attacked her. Scott fell from her arms as Sellie was knocked to the ground. Riley wrapped his arms around her throat and started strangling her.

"Sellie!" Fran cried in alarm.

Suddenly, to Sellie's great surprise, Fran slashed at Riley's arms with something. He screamed in agony, pulling back and releasing Sellie. He clutched his arm and screamed, "It burns! Miss Morgan, _help!"_ He sounded like a frightened child as his morph failed.

Kendall ran to Riley to examine his wounds. "How curious... It appears that the blade had some sort of toxin on it... A chemical compound made with unknown ingredients. We need to clean the wound right away before it spreads." She dragged Riley away.

Sellie looked at Fran, who clutched her weapon in her hands. "Is that...?" Sellie asked as her eyes went wide.

"A solid gold pizza cutter? Yes," Fran said.

"Where did you get that?"

"It appeared in my hands... I think the Alchemist must have sent it to me," Fran said softly.

"Why would she give you a super-powered pizza cutter as a deadly weapon against her allies?"

"Well... I'm not very good with weapons or fighting, but I'm _great_ at making pizza," Fran said thoughtfully.

"Okay, fair point, and I've honestly heard of stranger concepts for superheroes, but... Why does she keep helping you?"

"I honestly don't know... But I'm grateful."

Scott let out a groan of pain. Sellie rushed to his side. Fran stood over them with her pizza cutter held in front of her like a sword or a crucifix, daring anyone to come near them.

"Scott..." Sellie called softly. She could see that he was still losing blood.

"Tell... My team... I'm sorry..." Scott said weakly. He had another coughing fit, and more blood came up.

"Guys! Scott doesn't have much longer!" Sellie called frantically.

As Maya returned with the Alchemist, the energy tube came into sight. "I could destroy it," Sophie said.

"Don't," Dean said. "She's right. Scott's going to die. We _have_ to go. Besides, you can't keep interfering. You and I are outsiders. We're only allowed to do so much."

"I don't care about the rules-"

"Soph... Scott's dying, and I'm too weak to save him," Dean said. Hunter had made Dean bleed a lot, and while the extreme wrestler could handle a lot of blood loss, his own unique powers wouldn't work with how much he'd already lost.

Sophie seemed to realize how serious things were. With a sigh, she withdrew her energy from Zell. The shock of it knocked him to his knees. As the Alchemist, Maya, Hunter, and Damon helped Zell into his energy tube, Sophie opened a fire portal. Sellie and Fran half-carried Scott to it before going through. Dean followed them, and Sophie came through and closed it.

The first thing Sellie heard was, "Hey, Beautiful." She felt arms wrap around her.

"Stephen..." She sighed his name, _finally_ home.

"You guys look like hell," Kira said.

"Kira!" Fran cried in relief.

"Hey, Fran. Are you hurt?" Kira asked.

"Not seriously, but everyone else is except Sophie."

"It's nothing I can't walk off," Dean said quickly. "Sellie's hurt, though, and Scott's going to die if he doesn't get help _fast._ "

Sage walked in as if on cue. "Scott?" She asked in alarm. "Where did you guys find him?"

"He was locked up at Zell's base," Sophie explained. "It's obvious he was there for a bit and was tortured."

Sage was already healing Scott. "Was anyone else there?" Kira asked.

"Not that we could find," Sophie replied.

"No signs of Lily, Kendall, or Wes?"

"Kendall's been turned," Sellie replied sadly. "Lily was gone before I got there... The Alchemist didn't tell Fran much, but we know she's still alive. As for Wes, no... There was no sign of him."

"Alex turned on Time Force and stashed Wes somewhere... We have absolutely _zero_ leads. I was hoping he was with Zell and the Moron Patrol."

"Kira... Have you ever heard of Power Rangers by the names of Maya and Damon?"

Kira nodded. "Yeah... They were from Lost Galaxy... Karone's team. When I called them, only Karone and Leo showed up. Why?"

"They're with Zell. They're part of the evil Rangers."

"Oh, Mother of _Fucks!"_ Kira declared.

"Are you okay?" Fran asked.

"I _won't_ be if I have to tell Karone about this. She'll _definitely_ go full-on Astronema on whoever tells her."

"Have Andros do it," Sage said. "He's probably the only one who can get through to her."

"Good call," Kira said. She sighed. "Okay... So... We need to track the only other living member of the team... Kai. He may be in serious danger."

"Go handle that, Kira," Sage said. "I can take care of Scott, and I'll call Troy to help Sellie."

"I'm okay," Sellie insisted. "But the twins-"

"They're safe," Stephen promised. "Tia and I worked together to save them. They're with Jason."

"Lucy willingly stayed with her father?" Sellie asked in surprise.

"She stayed with Luke. She accepted that meant tolerating Jason."

"Thanks for rescuing them," Sellie said, giving him a kiss. She felt safer already.

"It was all I could do to help. Besides... Lucy's going to be my step-daughter one day."

"Stephen... Is it the concussion, or did you just _propose_ to me?" Sellie asked in shock.

He grinned at her charmingly. "That depends on your answer," he teased her.

She kissed him again before resting her head on his shoulder. "I'll have to talk to Lucy first. If she's not comfortable with it, I can't... I love you, but Lucy has to come first."

He gave her a reassuring kiss on her head. "You wouldn't be the woman I fell in love with if that wasn't your answer," he told her.

Everything was completely insane, but Sellie was good with crazy. Still, everything began to hit her at once as she realized she was truly safe. The things the evil resurrected Eltarians had put her through, the fear she'd had for the safety of the twins, the fact that she'd had to stay strong to help Fran do the same... It was too much.

Stephen sensed her distress. "We'll be back," he told the others before teleporting away with Sellie still in his arms. They landed on their feet just as Sellie began to cry. Stephen held her tighter, stroking her hair and making soothing sounds as she broke down.

When she was finally calmer, Sellie pulled away and looked into his eyes. He handed her some tissues with a sad smile on his face. "Sorry," she said softly.

"It's okay," he said. "I know you stay strong for the whole world, but you don't have to be strong for me, Sell."

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too."

Sellie took several deep breaths. "I'm okay now," she said.

"Okay. Let's head back." With that, they returned to where everyone else was.

Sage was healing a very stubborn Dean when they arrived. Scott looked at them and smiled weakly. "How do you feel?" Sellie asked him.

"I'm okay," he said. "Sage is really skilled with healing. Kira called Doctor K, so my team knows I'm here. Thanks for your help earlier."

"Anytime," Sellie replied.

They were home. They were safe. Sellie kept repeating this to herself as the night continued on.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **ZELL**_

It had taken all night for Zell to filter Sophie's attack out of himself and into the energy tube. He was only just beginning to recover when he emerged. Felina sat by the energy tube, looking like she hadn't slept all night.

"My Lord... Are you well?" She asked softly.

Her complete devotion pleased him. No other underling had remained to see if he had survived, but he could _always_ count on Felina to remain at his side. "Worry not, my dear Felina... I have recovered," he told her soothingly. He gently ruffled her hair with the same mild affection he'd used when she was still a child. "You need rest, my dear."

"I am well enough... Please, allow me to take care of you."

He nodded. "Very well. I must go into a deep meditative state, my dear. Watch over me while I do this."

"Of course." They moved to Zell's private quarters. He sat on his bed before motioning for Felina to join him.

"My guests are gone," he said. "I must bring others here... Those closest to my enemies... The people they love... Josh for Taylor, Kenny for Angeline, Thorn for Caleb..."

"Thorn is the twin brother of the young but exceptionally powerful Mystic, Sage," Felina pointed out cautiously. "If you go for the boy, she _will_ unleash a wrath unlike any we have previously known."

"Yes... You are correct, however, this may become necessary. I _must_ destroy the son of Caius... Because of Ares, I failed to destroy Caius himself, but the loss of his son will accomplish this for me."

Felina nodded. "Who else, my Lord?" She asked.

" _Liza."_ He hissed her name. "I have _plans_ for that one."

"Of course... Will there be others?"

"Eventually... However, right now, my other focus is gathering the children... The last of the Children of the Flame must be brought to us... And it is time for my son to return."

"Your son?" He knew she'd automatically thought of Zordon. It was only natural. There had been a time when Zordon and Felina were exceptionally close, when both were still quite young. His eldest son had been Felina's first friend.

"Not Zordon, my dear. Lachlan is a _very_ special boy, and it is time he return to me."

"Of course, my Lord. The boy belongs here, with us."

"Indeed. Now, watch over me. I must begin."

Zell sent himself into a deep trance. He found the boy easily enough. With a gentle nudge, Zell was able to send Jared into a trance of his own. "That's it, my boy... Now, I need you to do something for me..." With full control of Jared's mind, Zell was able to make him walk into the room the very first Alpha resided in. "Ah, yes... Return my old friend to me..." Zell said. He pushed the thought into Jared's mind to rewire the ancient robot. Since Jared had helped his father and Zell's wretched daughter Anise reprogram Alpha to begin with, the boy knew the technology and how to manipulate it.

Alpha, to his credit, realized immediately that something was wrong. Unfortunately for him, he could not stop Jared from reprogramming him. Within moments, Alpha was back to Zell's most loyal companion.

"Have Alpha bring you to me," Zell instructed. "And _well done,_ my boy." This one was exceptionally intelligent. Zell could definitely use that to his advantage. He just needed to ensure that Katherine didn't interfere. Her obsession with tormenting the boy's father might become an issue if she got her hands on the boy.

As Zell became aware again, he looked at Felina and smiled. "Retrieve the girls for me," he said. "Their brother shall be arriving shortly."

"Of course, my Lord," Felina replied. She ran off to do as she was told.

Zell smiled to himself, certain everything was going to fall back into place.

 _ **JARED**_

He had been having the _strangest_ dream. That was especially strange because he'd been _awake_ before it began. As he finally snapped out of the dream state, Jared found himself standing outside of a huge house with no memory of how he'd gotten there.

Alpha Prime was at his side. "Alpha... Where _are_ we?" Jared asked.

"We're _home,_ Jared," Alpha replied pleasantly. "It is time you meet the greatest being in all the Universe, the benevolent leader of Eltar."

"The leader of Eltar? As in Zordon? Or Anise?" Jared asked in confusion. While his father still kept him out of everything, he'd told him that much.

"No... I mean their father, Zell, the Great Wizard of Eltar. He is my oldest friend."

"You're taking me to meet Zordon and Anise's dad?"

The door opened and Alpha didn't respond. Instead, he greeted the woman at the door with surprise. "Hello, Felina! How wonderful to see you again."

Felina radiated a scary and intense vibe, but she actually smiled at the sight of Alpha. "Alpha! I _had_ wondered when Great Zell would call you home... Welcome... I see you have brought the boy to us."

"Jared, this is Felina. She is an old family friend to Zell," Alpha explained. "I have known her since she was a little girl on Eltar."

"Nice to meet you," Jared said politely.

"Come inside. We have been waiting for you," Felina said. She led them into the house.

It was a lot creepier inside. Despite the sun being up, the house seemed dark. Jared felt uneasy. As they entered a room, Jared relaxed slightly at the sight of two teenage girls. They seemed ordinary enough. The blonde chewed on her fingernails nervously before adjusting her glasses. She looked up as Jared got closer.

"He's younger than I expected," the second girl said. She had darker features and seemed much more dangerous. Jared's guard went back up. "What are you, _ten?"_

"I'm _twelve,"_ Jared said in annoyance.

"Hi," the blonde said nervously. "I'm Sharon."

"I'm Jared..."

"Callie. Sorry about the crack about your age," the other girl said. "It's just, Sharon's nineteen and I'm seventeen, and I was under the impression we were _all_ teenagers. You're still a kid."

"Jared will be quite the asset to us, I assure you, my dear," a man said as he grandly entered the room. Jared took a step back without even realizing he was moving.

"Zell!" Alpha cried in delight.

"Alpha, my old friend... Welcome home," Zell said. He looked at Jared. "And Jared, my dear boy... It is so wonderful to see you. I have not had the chance since the day you were born."

"The day I was born?" Jared repeated. Curious despite his uneasiness, he asked, "You were there?"

"I was indeed. You are part of something extraordinary, my boy... In a way, Callie and Sharon are your sisters."

"My sisters? So... You guys are my mother's children?" He couldn't help but be curious now. He'd always had his dad, and that was all he needed, but his mother's identity had remained a mystery. Part of him longed to know who she was.

"In a way..." Zell waved his hand and fire burst from the floor. Jared knew he should be afraid, but the flames seemed to be calling to him. He leaned in closer and felt them wrap around him. They felt incredibly familiar.

"I don't understand..." Jared said softly.

"I believe that you _do,_ my boy. You are _highly_ intelligent, after all." Zell paused. "Jared... You were born of magic. The man who raised you is indeed your father, and you come from his DNA... But these flames served as your other parent. You, Callie, Sharon, and three others came from these flames. That is why I consider you siblings."

Jared couldn't understand how that was scientifically possible... But he'd been left on his father's doorstep as a baby, and his father wasn't the sort to reproduce... "The flames must have functioned like a test tube..." He said. "You sort of cloned us from our parents, or at least their DNA, and you grew us inside of the flames... So they were an incubator, too."

"Precisely, my boy!" Zell declared with a smile.

"Why, exactly, am I here, Mr. Zell?"

Zell looked at him indulgently. "My proper title is _Great_ Zell, however, I appreciate you trying to address me respectfully," he said. "Jared, you are destined for a great path. You belong here."

"What about my dad?"

"Your loyalty to your father is admirable... He is sick, correct?"

"He's fine... Just a little different than most people."

"He can be so much more, my boy... I can free him from the trauma and pain he suffers from... The crippling anxiety... The flames you were born from shall be his salvation. They will remove all of his struggles and make him stronger."

That was a tempting offer. Jared loved his father and hated to see him suffer... But somehow, he knew this charming man could not be trusted. Something was _very_ wrong here.

"Really? You'd help him?" Jared asked, playing along. Instinct made him guard his thoughts as he spoke to Zell.

"Of course, my dear boy! You deserve to have your father be cured."

"What happens now?" Jared asked.

"Now, Callie and Sharon show you to your room. Go on, my dears. The door is across from Callie's."

Callie shrugged. Sharon offered him a kind, awkward smile. Jared followed them, positive that he had to keep up the appearance of loyalty or Zell would target not only him but his father. _You'll get out of this,_ he told himself. _Just breathe. Smile. Play along._

 _ **JUSTIN**_

He realized as soon as he woke up from a medication-induced deep sleep that the house was entirely too quiet. Struggling to shake off his groggy state, Justin scolded himself from giving in and taking the medication, but for some reason, he'd had a panic attack as soon as he'd woken up that morning. He'd asked Alpha Prime to look after Jared so he could rest.

"Jared? Where are you?" Justin called. He began checking the usual spots... Jared's bedroom, Alpha's favorite room, the kitchen... No one appeared to be home. His chest grew tight, but Justin forced himself to ignore his growing panic.

"Alpha! Alpha Prime, come in!" Justin said into the device which instantly connected him to the robot. There was no response. "Alpha, _answer me!"_ Justin said desperately.

He raced through the house again. There was still no sign of his son or Alpha. Finally, Justin grabbed his cell phone. He dialed a number.

"Hey, Justin. What's up?" Cassie answered cheerfully.

"Jared's missing!" Justin blurted out.

"What? But your house is the most secure place in Angel Grove! Anise protected it herself, and Sage added extra security measures after the fact."

"Alpha Prime's gone, too." His chest ached. He was struggling to keep his breathing steady.

"Okay... Breathe, Justin. I'm on my way. We'll find them."

Within moments, he heard the coded knock on his door. He opened it and pulled Cassie inside quickly. She hugged him tightly.

"I tried to reach Prime. He's not responding," Justin told her. "It's Zell, right? It must be..."

"We don't know that, Justin. Don't panic yet."

"He kills kids, Cassie..." Justin whispered. "He killed Jodi... What if...?"

"Jared's alive, Justin. I guarantee you'd feel it if he wasn't. We'll get him back."

"He's _innocent,_ Cassie. I sheltered him... I tried to protect him so he didn't end up in the middle of this mess... I failed him! And now, Zell's taken him and he has _no_ idea what monsters like that are capable of, and Kat... Kat's back... And she could... She might hurt him... And Jared doesn't know who she is! I... I tried to protect him, but I screwed up! He doesn't know what they'll do to him! I-"

" _Justin!"_ Cassie said firmly. She grabbed his shoulders and forced him to look into her reassuring eyes. "Breathe. You're starting to turn blue, and not in the Power Ranger sense." He forced himself to take a deep breath. "Good. Now, listen to me. I won't let anything happen to Jared. I'm going to do _everything_ in my power to get him back... He'll be okay. I need you to try to stay strong right now, okay? Jared is _your_ son. He's brilliant, and he's one tough kid. I _promise_ you if anyone can survive being kidnapped by them, it's Jared. And Alpha won't let anyone hurt him. If they're together, Jared is safe. Okay?"

Justin nodded slowly. "We need to track Prime," he said.

"The other Alphas can do it. I'll talk to my girl Three."

"I'm coming with you."

"What?" She stared at him in surprise.

"I'm coming with you to the Command Center... And I'll go wherever I need to after we have some answers."

"But, Justin... This is dangerous."

"This is about my son. He is twelve years old, in danger from monsters, and I am the only parent he has. I'll be _damned_ if I abandon him when he needs me the most. I am _not_ my father," Justin said firmly.

Cassie looked at him with admiration. She nodded, "Right on," she said. "Let's rock this." She led him outside before pressing a button on her communicator. "Beam us up, Alphas," she said. Almost immediately, Justin felt the tingling sensation that came with being teleported. They arrived at the Command Center a moment later.

"Alphas... My son is missing, and so is Prime. Please track Prime for us," Justin said humbly.

"Yo, yo, yo, it's my boy Justin!" Six declared. "Anything for you," he added.

Two minutes later, the Alphas erupted into a chaotic chorus. _"Ay-yi-yi! "_ Five and Twenty-Six declared in unison over and over.

"Yo, yo, yo, this ain't right..." Six cried.

"Despair! Chaos! All is lost!" Three ranted. "This is a disaster of epic proportions! A catastrophic event! An apocalypse!"

"That one's _impressively_ dramatic, isn't she?" Justin asked.

"You have _no_ idea," Cassie replied. "Alphas, calm down and tell us what's wrong!"

Most of them were too busy panicking, but Three pulled herself together. "Alpha Prime has been rewired... And his programming resembles that which he had when he was loyal to Zell. In tracking him, we discovered he vanished near the approximate area where the Alliance has their base of operations. He appears to have brought the boy there... Prime is a traitor!"

"He is not in control of his own actions," Zordon said as he entered the room. "I fear my father manipulated Jared into rewiring Alpha Prime."

Suddenly, rage filled Justin. "This is _your_ fault!" He shouted, running toward Zordon. He tried to punch him, but Cassie caught his hand in mid-air.

"Justin! This is _not_ Zordon's fault," she said, not letting go of Justin's hand.

"You made a terrified eleven-year-old kid into a Power Ranger and now my _son_ is mixed up in all of this, too!" Justin argued.

"Technically, that was Rocky, but I'm _not_ saying you should go hit him either," Cassie said lightly.

"Rocky was seriously injured and high on painkillers!" Justin snapped. " _Zordon_ should have seen the error in his thinking and prevented it from going any further!" He ripped his arm away from Cassie and swung at Zordon. This time, he hit him, and as he did, he released everything he'd been holding back for years. Justin sank to his knees and started crying.

"Should I lock him in a cage, Zordon?" Three asked.

"That won't be necessary, Three," Zordon said softly. "Justin is correct." He knelt beside Justin and handed him several tissues.

Justin looked up at him and felt ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry..." He whispered.

"No, Justin... _I'm_ sorry," Zordon said firmly. "Although you surely possess one of the strongest, purest hearts I have ever encountered and were a fine Power Ranger, you were _far_ too young. My error in judgement caused you to suffer greatly, and that is something I can never undo... However, I give my word that I will not rest until your son is returned to you safely."

Justin nodded slowly. "Thank you..." He said softly. For so long, all Justin had wanted was an apology. Now that he'd gotten one, he wasn't sure what to do with himself.

Cassie squeezed his shoulder. She didn't say anything, and she didn't have to. The comforting, reassuring touch was enough.

 _We'll get him back,_ Justin thought. _We have to._ He would _not_ let Jared end up going through the sort of things he had. He'd worked too hard to protect him from that.

 _ **MICKY**_

His life was slowly getting better. Angel Grove High wasn't so bad. The other Rangers had started to earn his trust, and he had Liza back in his life. Tommy was actually taking therapy seriously, and little by little, he was taking a larger interest in Micky that no longer seemed so forced. Micky wasn't ready to let him in yet, but he appreciated that he was making an effort.

Then, there was Lachlan. With everything that had happened, Lach was spending as much time around Micky as possible. It made Micky happy to be with him, and he fell for him a little bit more every day. Lach didn't know that, but Micky was content to remain friends as long as it meant he could be around him.

They were just hanging out in the park laughing when Lachlan's face got very close to Micky's. The laughter stopped and Micky sucked in a sharp breath. He'd never wanted to kiss someone so badly in his life. After an awkward moment, Micky pulled away as casually as possible.

Lachlan sighed. "Micky... Can I tell you something in confidence?" He asked.

"Of course you can," Micky replied.

"Right... Here goes then... Micky, I'm... Oh, bloody hell, _why_ is this so hard? I already did this back home after all... It should be quite simple, but... It's actually a bit harder..."

"Lach... You can tell me _anything._ I promise I'll still be here for you."

"Right then..." Lachlan took a deep breath. "I'm gay... Everyone knew back home, but I haven't come out here yet... It's hard enough being the new kid without being the new _gay_ kid..."

Micky was beyond relieved to hear Lachlan's confession. He gently touched Lachlan's hand before he said, "Lach... So am I..." He couldn't say the words _I'm gay_ aloud. He just wasn't ready for that... But this was close enough.

Lachlan's eyes widened a bit before he smiled. "I was sort of hoping you'd say that... Because... Well... I sort of have a _huge_ crush on you..." He blushed and stared at his sneakers.

Micky was nervous, but he leaned in closer before tilting Lachlan's face up so they were looking into each other's eyes. Then, before he could talk himself out of it, he kissed him.

The kiss was intense. Lachlan's magic rushed into Micky and called forth his own. Nothing had _ever_ felt so right before. Instead of pulling away to break the kiss, Micky deepened it. Lachlan responded shyly at first before relaxing. Micky had never felt so alive before.

Suddenly, several monsters attacked at once. Micky and Lachlan were startled out of their kiss. _Of course,_ Micky thought. "Lach, stay behind me!" He said. He hit the button on his communicator. "Guys, there's trouble at the park... The more secluded area, by the ravine. I think I need backup," he said.

"Thorn and I read you... We'll be right there," Sage replied.

"I'm on my way," Liza chimed in.

"I'm in detention... Be there as soon as possible..." Zeke replied softly.

"Gymnastics... I'll get there as soon as I can sneak away," Kenny added. There was no response from Josh.

"Oh shit!" Micky said as a monster got too close and he kicked it in the chest. "It's Morphin' Time! White Tigerzord!" He morphed.

Lachlan stared at him. "Impressive..." He mumbled.

Micky began fighting off the others as Sage, Thorn, and Liza arrived. They quickly morphed and joined the fight.

An eerie cackling sound filled the air. "Power Rangers? How odd... I was _not_ expecting to run into _you_ here... I only came for the boy. Hand him over and you can all live to morph another day." A woman said.

"Who the hell is _that?"_ Micky asked.

The woman showed herself fully. She wore a solid black crown atop her head and a cheetah-printed dress that had armor strategically built in to protect the important areas. A half-mask covered her face. It was the eyes and nose of a cheetah.

"You may call me Mistress Cheetah," she informed him. "Now, who _is_ this mysterious White Ranger? Because poor little Katie is dead and gone." She reached toward him. Micky wanted to recoil, but something about her energy stopped him. She caressed his arm before going for his helmet.

"Back _off,_ Bitch!" Liza said harshly. She grabbed Mistress Cheetah's arm and ripped it away from Micky. Mistress Cheetah freed herself from Liza's grasp easily.

"Well, if it isn't Liza Campbell! _Look_ how _far_ you've come! For a replacement Ranger, you really _are_ doing well." She laughed before trying to touch Liza.

"Your succubus parlor tricks won't work on me," Liza said firmly. She clutched a necklace Micky knew Zedd had recently given to her. It seemed to react to Mistress Cheetah, glowing as she got too close.

"Ah... That was made by my kin..." She said with a laugh. "Relax, Liza. I won't hurt you kids... Not if you give me the boy. I sense Zell's blood in him... I need to destroy him. In the long run, this will protect you."

"Who _are_ you? How do you know me?" Liza demanded.

"Oh, sweetheart... I know _all_ of you. Thorn and Sage are busy battling my underlings... Where's the rest of the team? Let me guess... Kenny has gymnastics, Josh is lost in a project, and Zeke has detention, right? Bless their hearts." She laughed again. "At least they aren't here to get hurt."

Liza hesitated for a moment. In that time, Mistress Cheetah tried to grab Lachlan. Micky moved in front of him again. "You're not taking him _anywhere,"_ he said.

"Oh my... Young love..." Mistress Cheetah said. "I didn't expect that... It's beautiful, isn't it? Until it destroys you... Until you find him, left for dead, and you try to stay with him but he pushes you away to save the world by sacrificing his fucking _life!_ And in a single instant, with one explosion, _everything_ is gone and your _heart_ is ripped out!"

"Oh my God..." Sage whispered in horror as she and Thorn got closer and heard her words. _"Lily?"_

"No, Sage... _Lily_ is _dead,"_ she replied. " _I_ am Mistress Cheetah!" She looked from Micky to Lachlan and shook her head. "Treasure your time together, Boys. It all ends too soon." Turning to her minions, she said, "Come! This fight no longer serves me. Let's go." She snapped her fingers and everyone vanished.

Zeke teleported in fully morphed just in time to see them vanish. "Sorry I'm late," he said. "Guess I missed the party?"

Sage sighed. "We have a _serious_ problem," she replied.

"Okay, seriously... What the actual _fuck?"_ Micky asked. Everyone else dropped their morphs, so he followed suit.

"Sage... We have to tell RJ and Casey..." Thorn said softly.

"Guys... I'm still lost," Micky said.

"This new super villain, Mistress Cheetah, is a Power Ranger," Sage explained. "Lily, from Jungle Fury... The last time Fran saw her, she was being dragged off to Zell. He must have turned her."

"What?! Holy shit!" Zeke said in horror.

"You mean she's a Ranger of the Flame?" Micky asked.

"I don't think so... I think Zell turned her and it backfired... Lily must have resisted. She couldn't stop herself from being turned, but she kept a clear enough head not to be a mindless slave to Zell. Basically, Lily went rogue, Zedd-style," Sage explained.

Liza clutched her necklace. "She said her _kin_ made this... And she's a succubus... Holy shit..." She mumbled.

"Wait... Lily's related to _Zedd?_ How?" Zeke asked.

"We need to talk to Zedd," Sage replied. She pulled out her cell phone, walking away. A minute later, Zedd appeared.

"You said it was urgent?" He asked Sage.

"Zedd... Are you related to Lily from Jungle Fury?" Sage asked without preamble.

Zedd paused. "Not that I'm aware of, but I do come from a rather large family line... I suppose it's possible," he replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Because she just pulled a _you..._ It seems like Zell turned her, but she went off on her own."

"She's calling herself Mistress Cheetah," Liza added.

Zedd's eyes went wide. "I still have contacts on the wrong side of things... Mistress Cheetah is a new villain who appeared out of nowhere and slaughtered everyone who stood in the way of her essentially declaring herself the Queen of Onyx... She's got an entire planet of evil minions worshiping at her feet." He said as he shook his head before actually laughing. "Well, she's certainly ambitious, I'll give her that. What's that saying? Go big or go home?"

"Should you be laughing right now?" Micky asked.

"Probably not," Zedd admitted. "It's just that, when _I_ turned evil, I stole my father's empire from him after a little while... Lily took over an entire _planet_ on her first day out. I'm kind of impressed."

"Zedd... Lily's hurting. She lost her husband before they could even finish their honeymoon and she watched Dominic die... And she probably thinks Casey and RJ are dead, too. Zell stole her light. She has _nothing_ left to lose as far as she's concerned. What's her next move?" Sage asked.

"Zell took everything from Lily... If she's anything like me, which she certainly seems to be, she's going to try to take away what belongs to him."

"Which is why she was after Lach," Liza said. "But she backed off when she saw the way Micky tried to protect him."

Zedd looked at Micky and Lach curiously. He smiled mysteriously. "What she felt between them reminded her of what she lost... And a small part of her that's still Lily wanted to protect that."

"What are you talking about?" Zeke asked.

Micky paused, looking at Lachlan. He sighed. "This doesn't leave this park, alright?" He asked.

"Of course, Dude. What's going on?" Zeke asked.

"Lach and I... We... Um..." Micky couldn't say it.

It was Thorn who broke the awkward silence. He put a comforting hand on Micky's shoulder. "It's okay, Micky," he said. "I used to have trouble admitting it, too... But then Caleb died in my arms, and I swore I'd never deny what he meant to me again. I know how hard it can be to tell people."

Liza smiled at him encouragingly. It was clear Sage already knew. Zeke seemed to suddenly catch on. "Oh! Dude, really? I feel dumb for missing that, but it's totally cool. I'm happy for you guys," he said. He was grinning from ear to ear.

Micky was a bit mortified by all of the attention. Lachlan squeezed his hand. "You don't have to say it, Micky," he said kindly. "But it's clear you have a great support system here when you need them."

"I couldn't tell people back home... Only Liza knew," Micky said. "I guess I don't care if you guys know... But please don't tell Tommy."

"Uncle Tommy won't judge you," Thorn said. "I was afraid of that, too, but he basically just adopted Caleb as his other nephew. He's been really supportive."

"It's different with me... I'm his kid, and one he didn't know about... So not only is he stuck with me, but I'm not... I'm different. He won't be able to deal with that. Tommy's _barely_ starting to interact with me. I can't throw this at him."

"It's your story to tell, Man," Zeke said. "Just know that you've got friends who love and support you exactly as you are."

"Thanks, Zeke. Really," Micky said. He had expected Zeke of all people to be an idiot about things. That had been harsh, especially since Zeke had been the first person in Angel Grove who wasn't related to him to try to befriend him. He knew now that Zeke was a genuinely good guy and was grateful for his friendship.

"You're in great company, Micky," Liza said. "Thorn and Caleb are _totally_ relationship goals and are the cutest gay couple ever. Taylor's not one for labels, but I'd call him pansexual. I don't think he sees gender as a thing that matters in relationships. I can't really say what Josh is, but he's crazy about my brother. Scott's _super_ gay, Van's bi, Hannah's a lesbian... You know _I'm_ bi."

"You _are?"_ Zeke asked. "But you're always talking about hot guys..."

"I'm just as girl crazy, but guys get uncomfortable when a girl objectifies them, so it's funny to not hold back on them," Liza said lightly with a laugh. "There might be others I'm forgetting... The _point_ is that the Power Rangers embrace diversity. You aren't a freak here, Micky. And no one's going to judge you."

Micky sort of wanted to cry, but he managed not to. He simply nodded instead. "Thanks for always sticking by me," he said.

Liza grinned. "Kids like us have to stick together. I'll _always_ have your back, Micky." She hugged him.

Suddenly, a dark portal opened. The woman who emerged was unmistakable. "Felina..." Sage said. Zedd automatically moved protectively in front of her and Liza.

"Morphin' Time?" Micky asked.

"I'd say so," Thorn said. Several more Alliance members appeared.

"Hell yeah! I didn't miss the fight after all!" Zeke declared with a grin.

They began to morph as random monsters attacked. "Mora's creations," Zedd explained.

"Silly children... I merely came to ensure the safety of the boy," Felina said casually. Then, she tapped her wand to the ground. Other bad guys began to arrive.

Backup arrived quickly. Kenny arrived with Noah. "Where's Josh?" Micky asked.

"He's having confidence issues," Kenny replied. "Noah's filling in for a bit."

"Hey," Noah said cheerfully before calling on the Mighty Morphin Blue power.

The Stone Warriors appeared with Sir Ivan and the Ranger Guard, although Pierce and Logan were missing. Micky vaguely remembered Sage mentioning they were off trying to help someone but would return soon.

"Somebody call for an ass kicking?" Nessa asked cheerfully.

"We have this won! Just give up!" Bax said. Micky wanted to slaughter him on sight.

"Don't count your ducks before they quack!" Mena retorted, kicking his leg out from beneath him.

" _Chickens,_ Mena," Nessa corrected her with a laugh. "Don't count your _chickens_ before they _hatch."_

"Same difference," Mena said with a shrug. "Come on. We have bigger birds to fly!" She motioned toward the other bad guys.

Nessa was laughing too hard to reply. "Bigger _fish_ to _fry,"_ Greg said helpfully. "But you were close!"

"It's kind of adorable that Zordon's genius cousin struggles with American idioms," Micky said with a laugh.

"Zordon's cousin... Doesn't that make her _my_ cousin as well?" Lachlan asked.

"I guess it does," Micky agreed. "Stay behind me, Lach. This could get ugly." Lachlan did as he instructed.

The Earth suddenly opened up beneath Lachlan. He fell into the hole. " _Lach!"_ Micky screamed.

As the Earth began to close up, Micky knew Greg hadn't caused this, which meant Felina had. She started laughing as Micky tried to dig into the ground.

"Don't worry... He's perfectly safe," Felina told him.

"What did you _do?"_ Micky demanded.

"I returned the boy to his father."

Micky's chest felt tight. Lachlan was in horrible danger and there was nothing he could do about it at the moment because the battle waged on.

 _ **FELINA**_

She knew Zell would be pleased. She'd managed to capture his son with relatively little effort. She remained at the scene because nearly everyone there was high on his list.

Katherine showed herself, quickly running toward the Legacy Rangers. She cornered the Pink one, and Felina paid close attention. "Hello, Kenny," she said almost sweetly.

Kenny stared at her in shock. "Kat..." He said softly, his eyes still locked on her face.

"It's alright, Kenny. I'm not going to hurt you," Katherine told him. She gently reached toward him. The boy was too frozen by shock to react. Katherine did something Felina did not expect... She wrapped the boy in her arms. "You haven't eaten... And you're exhausted... But you still came to help your team."

Kenny seemed to realize he was in danger. He tried to free himself. "Kat... Let me go," he said firmly.

"I'm sorry, Kenny. I can't do that... But I don't want to hurt you. I was always rather fond of you... You're the sweetest boy, and you're so loyal... Unlike my brat daughter."

Kenny tensed. It was clear that Katherine's daughter was still a sore subject for him. "I _said_ let me go," he repeated. Another moment of struggling freed him. He stood his ground, but Felina knew how this would end. This boy did not have it in him to harm Katherine. No matter what she was now, he remembered the woman she'd appeared to be before. He was far too gentle to be able to bring himself to attack her.

"Kenny!" Zeke shouted. He raced toward his friend, ready to help.

"Zeke! How _are_ you?" Katherine asked. "How's your dad?"

"Don't you _dare_ mention him, you traitorous bitch!" Zeke shouted. He didn't even hesitate as he flew through the air to kick her away from Kenny.

 _That one is much more than they give him credit for,_ Felina realized. Most teenagers would have reacted to this situation exactly as Kenny had, but Zeke seemed to have an inner strength that was a bit unexpected.

"Zeke, Kenny, hang on! We're coming!" Thorn called.

"Get away from them, you bitch!" Sage added. It didn't surprise Felina that Sage appeared unshaken by her aunt. She wasn't like the others.

"My niece and nephew! How nice," Katherine said. "Sorry, but I can't stay and chat. Send your dad my best!" She snapped her fingers and Kenny vanished.

"Kenny!" Zeke cried in shock.

"What did you just do?" Sage demanded.

"You'll _never_ find him," Katherine said with a wicked smile. "He's _mine_ now."

"Like Hell!" Sage retorted. She was about to attack when Katherine vanished, too. Felina knew Zell had pulled her out of there.

Other Alliance members arrived. Micah, Neighbelle, and Estos attacked the stunned Legacy Rangers, demanding their immediate attention. As the Rangers of the Flame arrived, Felina saw them head straight for the Stone Warriors. Riley and Kendall zeroed in on Sir Ivan.

"Hello, Sir Ivan," Kendall said cryptically.

Realization and horror dawned on Sir Ivan's face. "Miss Morgan?" He asked in shock.

"Correct," she replied coldly.

Scott was the first to reach the Knight's side. "No, Sir Scott!" Sir Ivan said quickly as the Black Ranger prepared to attack. "Do not harm her! This is not her fault."

"Let me knock her out and maybe Pierce can help her, when he gets back," Scott said. "I mean, he saved Vida... But if he can't, Sage has more experience and totally can."

"Not a _chance,_ _Airhead_!" Riley cried. He laughed at his own joke. "See what I did there? Because his element is Air? Seriously? No one? Whatever, it was funny." He attacked before Scott could react and knocked him back several feet.

"Scott!" Chelsea and Van cried in unison. Felina shook her head, remembering that Vancello had switched sides and betrayed the Rebellion for that boy. She ignored them as they raced to check on him. Riley focused his attack on the three of them, so they weren't an issue anyway.

Kendall seemed quite focused on Sir Ivan. She attacked again. He barely dodged the blow. "Miss Morgan, _please_ see reason!" He begged.

"I _always_ see reason," she told him coldly. "Great Zell's plan has a few technical flaws, but overall, it has merit. With _my_ help, his probability for success is significantly higher."

"M'Lady, _listen_ to me! This is _not_ who you are."

"It may not be who I _was,_ Sir Ivan, but it's who I am _now..._ And I _like_ it. So let's settle this like enemies..." She attacked him, landing a hit to his chest.

"Kendall..." He said urgently, his desperation clear. Felina was fairly certain by the way Kendall tensed that he rarely, if ever, called her that.

 _Embrace the darkness that lives where your heart once did,_ Felina instructed her silently. She made sure Kendall's evil radiated at its fullest potential. The Purple Ranger of the Flame literally glowed with power. _Glorious,_ Felina thought. Zell had done an impressive job with that one.

Kendall attacked Sir Ivan again. "Fight back!" She shrieked.

"No, M'Lady..." Sir Ivan replied firmly.

"Fight _back!"_ She screamed again, sending a shot of energy through him that made his entire body shake.

"Ivan!" Andie screamed.

"Stay _back,_ M'Lady!" He managed to reply. He turned to Kendall. "Kendall...I shall _not_ fight you... Ever. For I know who you _truly_ are, and to cause you harm would be terribly dishonorable."

Kendall only grew more furious. The Alchemist tossed her a golden sword, which she immediately shoved through Sir Ivan's chest.

 _Zell wants to kill the Knight himself..._ Felina thought with a frown. Still, his suffering and the screams of his pathetic little Pink Ranger amused her. She supposed she could allow it to go for for a _little_ while longer.

Kendall laughed and pulled the sword out. The knight began losing blood much more rapidly. Kendall moved on to other targets. She quickly tried to impale Allie with the sword, but it didn't hurt her.

 _She didn't get the memo about the former tulpa,_ Felina thought. Allie was essentially indestructible. Felina watched Kendall recover quickly, impaling Mena next.

"Mena!" Allie shouted. She knelt at the girl's side. Greg rushed over to them. It was clear he was deeply distressed. Kendall knocked Greg and Allie back with a blast of energy, moving closer to finish Mena off.

"Enough! Go on your way," the Alchemist said. "We have acquired the boy. Leave the rest for now." She stopped Kendall from removing the sword.

 _How odd,_ Felina thought, filing that away for later as the Rangers of the Flame fled. The other attacks began winding down as well.

"Ivan..." Andie cried softly, finally free from her own fight. She ran toward him. Felina stepped between them.

"Hello, Daphne," she said harshly.

"Felina... _Please..."_ Andie replied softly, the desperation clear in her eyes.

"I'm afraid you're going to need to bid your love farewell, Daphne," Felina taunted her.

"I'll go with you!" Andie blurted out.

"Pardon?" Felina asked.

"If you let me save Ivan and Mena... I'll go with you."

"You're making the same mistake again, Daphne? Do you recall what happened the _last_ time you made such a bargain?"

"I _do_ remember... I saved the lives of the only decent family I've ever had. And it was worth it."

"And now you barter for your beloved knight? Love is _weakness,_ Daphne!"

"No. Love is _strength."_ Andie stared at her defiantly.

"Aren't you afraid?" Felina taunted her.

"Yes," Andie replied softly, stunning her. "I _am_ afraid. I'm _terrified_ of what will happen if he gets his hands on me again... But I won't let that stop me from helping people."

She was so much like Daphne in that moment, it hurt Felina a bit. She shook off the pang of nostalgia and glared at Andie. The Knight was going to die. Zell would be angry. Felina knew she had no choice. Still, she took advantage of the circumstances. "Give me your binding oath," Felina said. "If I allow you to save them, you will come with me without a fight. No tricks."

Andie was about to agree when flames surrounded Felina. "Not _this_ time," Darcy said firmly.

Felina groaned internally and began looking for ways to break free from the ring of fire. It tightened every time she tried.

Andie was already kneeling beside Sir Ivan. Felina could see the tears in her eyes, but she also saw determination. "You can't die, Ivan," she told him. "If you do, we lose Kendall for good. She won't recover from killing anyone, but especially not a member of her own team. So you _have_ to survive, okay?" She begged him. She continued to heal him. "Besides... I love you," she added very softly.

The Knight groaned softly. Then, he opened his eyes. "M'Lady?" He asked in confusion.

"Shhh... You're going to be okay now... I stabilized you and you're not losing blood anymore, but I need to help Mena before I finish healing you."

"Go, M'Lady... I love you," he told her. It made Felina sick. They were so disgusting.

"I love you, too," Andie replied before hurrying to Mena. "Greg... Let me help her," Andie said gently.

"She's _really_ hurt, Andie," Greg replied numbly.

"I know... We need to pull the sword out."

"No! She'll bleed out!" Greg cried in horror. Allie was crying beside him while Freddy stood over them all, silent and protective, daring anyone to try and cross them.

"Greg... I can do this," Andie promised him. "But I need to do it quickly."

To everyone's apparent shock, the sword was pulled from Mena's chest. "Well, go on, then," Nessa said, motioning toward Mena with the weapon she'd just removed from her best friend's chest. "Save her already."

Andie set to work immediately. Slowly but surely, Mena began to heal. She looked at the others in confusion. "Well _that_ certainly took the wind out of my boat," she mumbled.

"You mean it took the wind out of your _sails_ , but close enough," Nessa said with obvious relief. She pulled the younger girl into her arms. "Don't scare me like that, Mena!" Felina knew Nessa was as tough as nails, but she'd still lost her entire family in the attack on Eltar. It was understandable that she'd be upset by her friend being so close to death.

Suddenly, Darcy let out a cry of pain. The flames around Felina went out. She saw Darcy lying on the ground bleeding, a golden spear in her side. If someone healed her quickly, she would survive, but she couldn't fight with how much blood she was losing. The Alchemist stood over her.

"Go on, Felina. Get the girl for Great Zell, and we will be on our way," the Alchemist said.

"I thought you left," Felina said.

"I merely made the others who were not needed leave... Less people means less chances of screwing things up. He will be pleased if you bring his wife to him."

"Why not do it yourself then?"

"Because pleasing him means little to me... But it means _everything_ to you. We may not have come here for the girl, but the opportunity is too good to pass on. She is in a weakened state from healing her friends. She cannot fight you."

Felina saw the way Andie stumbled toward her gravely injured sister. She knew the Alchemist was correct. Greg was close behind her, although it was clear he hadn't wanted to leave Mena's side. Ash's loyalty to Serafine was too strong and had won out.

Felina quickly opened a portal and shoved Andie through it, jumping in before Greg could reach them and sealing the entrance. Andie lost her balance and fell. Felina automatically reached out to steady her. It wouldn't do for her to bring Daphne to Zell injured.

They appeared directly in front of Zell. Lachlan stood cowering in a corner. Kenny lay unconscious in Katherine's arms. She was stroking his hair and didn't even seem to realize this.

Zell stared at them in surprise. "Well _done,_ Felina, my dear," he said with pride. He moved in front of them, seeming to forget everything else. "Daphne... _Finally,_ you have returned to me..."

Andie, to her credit, met his eyes with her own and tried to stand her ground. "Zell..." She said softly.

He smiled and pulled her into his arms. Andie tensed. "Let go of me," she said.

"Never again, my sweet Daphne... _Never_ again," he replied, taking her from the room without so much as looking at Felina on the way out.

 _ **ZEKE**_

Things were _not_ looking good. Lachlan had been literally swallowed by the earth, Kenny had been kidnapped by Kat, and Felina had disappeared with Andie. "Damnit!" Thorn cursed as the bad guys vanished. Angry Thorn was _never_ a good sign.

"It's gonna be alright, " Zeke said. "They took our friends, but they're still alive. We'll get them back."

"Aunt Kat has _Kenny,"_ Thorn pointed out.

"Okay, yes, the psycho kidnapped Kenny, but he's resourceful. He'll find a way to get through this."

"I screwed up..." Sage said.

Zeke was surprised. "No, you didn't," he told her.

"I did... But that's not important." She moved toward Greg, who knelt over Darcy looking panicked. Zeke and Thorn followed her.

"She... She's hurt..." Greg managed to say.

Sage went all Super Shaman, flipping the switch. "I know... It's okay, Greg. I can help her," she said soothingly. She began healing Darcy while still keeping Greg calm. It was impressive.

"Andie... Where is she?" Darcy finally asked.

"Darce..." Greg began. He shook his head, tears in his eyes.

Darcy understood. She held him as she said, "I have to go after her."

"We'll come up with a plan," Zeke said practically.

"No," Sage said.

"No?" Zeke repeated.

Sage sighed. "I'll go after them... It will take work and a little time, but I'll do it. You guys need to keep the others safe." She took a deep breath before removing the Dragon Shield. "Zeke... It's time," she said.

"Time for _what?"_ Zeke asked.

Sage put the shield over his suit. It radiated power and felt... _Right_ somehow. "Time for _you_ to be the leader of the Mighty Morphin Legacy team... You've earned this, and I need to go after Kenny."

Zeke stared at her in shock. "But... My dad never led the team. That's not my legacy," he said softly.

Sage put the Dragon Dagger in his hands. "You were _always_ meant to lead this team one day, Zeke. I _know_ you can do this."

He hugged her. "Thank you," he replied softly. "I'll do my best to prove I deserve this."

Sage nodded. She quickly hugged Thorn. "I'll be back as soon as I can... Look after Caius... He needs me right now, but I know he'll understand why I had to do this."

"I will," Thorn promised. "Be safe."

Sage teleported away. Zeke realized his team was watching him, along with everyone else. "Okay, guys... Let's head to training."

Zedd looked at Liza. "Go on ahead. Someone needs to tell Zordon about all of this, and it shouldn't be any of you," he said.

"Good luck, " Liza said, giving him a quick kiss before sending him off. Zeke had a feeling Zedd had the hardest job of any of them.

Liza opened a portal. "This way, guys," Zeke said, motioning for everyone to head through. Sir Ivan hesitated at the entrance.

"I have to go after her," he said.

"Not this time, Ivan," Darcy said. "Zeke is right. We need a plan... I want to run after her, too, but we'd just be running into a trap. Besides, you're not fully healed yet."

Ivan looked like he might cry, but he stood tall and took a deep breath. "You are right, Lady Darcy... However..."

"However, they took Andie and they turned two of your friends. I get it, Ivan... But we need to do this the right way or we'll just end up captured, too." She took his arm and guided him through the portal.

"That shield looks good on you," Liza said with a smirk.

"Thanks," Zeke said. "Let's go." He headed into the portal. Liza followed right behind him. Everyone was staring at him. Zeke realized he was still morphed. "Hey, guys," he said casually, dropping the morph.

"Nice look, Zeke," Jason said with a nod of approval. Suddenly, Zeke knew he was truly ready for his new role on the team. He just hoped everyone else was going to be alright.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

 _ **ANDIE**_

When Zell brought her into a bedroom, she immediately thought the worst. She tried to prepare for a fight she knew she could not win, especially in her weakened state.

"This room shall be yours, my darling," Zell told her. "At least, until you choose to move into mine."

Andie stared at him. "That's _not_ going to happen," she said sharply.

"I understand you do not see it now, but I promise you shall." He smiled at her with obvious desire and a bit of affection in his eyes. It made her skin crawl. "Is the room to your liking? I can make changes if you prefer something else..."

Andie was stunned he was acting as though she were there by choice. "Prisoners don't usually get a say on things like how their cell is decorated."

"You are not my prisoner, Daphne. You are my wife, and I want you to be happy here."

"I'd be happy if I was _home."_

"You _are_ home. At last."

She sighed. She tried to step away from Zell and ended up stumbling. He easily steadied her. "Easy, my dear one... You are still weak," he said gently.

She looked up at him and saw the adoration in his eyes. For a moment, Daphne became overwhelmed. Andie knew that even in that life, she'd been hopelessly clumsy, and she realized Zell had often had to catch her when she stumbled. A small part of her was hit with Daphne's love for the man she'd thought he was.

 _Stop that,_ Andie scolded her past self. _He_ murdered _you. That's_ not _love. He's a monster._

She clung to Ivan, willing Isobel to push Daphne back. She felt her mind grow stronger. She pulled away from Zell and said, "I'm fine."

"Sit, my darling... Please," Zell said, motioning toward the bed.

That was the _last_ place Andie wanted to sit. Still, her legs were threatening to give out on her. She sat down in the chair that was in front of a dresser complete with a mirror instead.

Zell moved toward her, but didn't comment on her small act of defiance. "This dresser is an antique... I had it refurbished for you, and asked Zizanyah to stock it with suitable clothing. I do not know what girls of this time like to wear, after all, and I want you to be comfortable," he told her. "When you feel a bit stronger, you may shower over there and change." He motioned toward a bathroom in the corner. "I shall have someone retrieve you for supper. Until then, please try to get some rest." He kissed her hand, making her feel sick inside. Then, he left her alone.

Andie stood and tried the door. It was locked. "It was worth a shot," she said with a sigh. At least the room was large, and it was certainly comfortable. Andie moved toward the bathroom. It had no visible escape routes, but it was also large and comfortable. If she didn't know the truth, she'd have thought she was inside the home of a perfectly normal wealthy person.

She could not deny that she was exhausted. She caved and sat on the bed. The mattress was the most comfortable thing she'd ever sat on. Knowing she needed to get her strength back, Andie allowed herself to drift off to sleep. She prayed her nightmares wouldn't be _too_ horrible for once.

 _ **ZORDON**_

He'd sensed that something was _very_ wrong. This was confirmed when Zedd appeared at the Command Center. "Zordon... We need to talk," he said gently.

"What did my father do now?" Zordon forced himself to ask.

"Okay, first of all... A lot happened today. Let's start at the beginning... Lily resurfaced."

"Where is she?"

"Apparently, Onyx."

 _"Onyx?!"_

"He turned her, Zordon... But it backfired. She went rogue. She took over Onyx and is calling herself Mistress Cheetah."

Zordon stared at him. "How did she resist him after the Flames?"

"Yes, about that... It's highly possible that Lily is related to me... I assume we are cousins of some sort. Also, her succubus genes have awakened."

Zordon was at a loss for words. "I never suspected Lily was a relative of yours," he said.

"Nor did I, but here we are... And she's really rather impressive. Moving on... After Lily aborted her attack on the Legacy Rangers, Felina showed up, as did the others. Felina captured Lachlan and sent him to your father."

"My father has Lachlan..." Zordon sighed. He had been trying to accept that he had a younger brother, but since they hadn't spent any time together, Lachlan was more of an abstract concept to him than a reality. Still, he knew what his father could do to the boy if he got his hands on him. Lachlan was barely older than Zordon had been when the abuse had been at its worst.

"Yes... And there is more."

Zordon took a deep breath. "Tell me," he said.

"Katherine was there and she managed to abduct Kenny..."

Zordon was struggling to keep control of his emotions. _Curse this teenaged vessel,_ he thought. "We must retrieve Kenny as soon as possible. Katherine holds much hostility toward his mother. There is no telling what she'll do to Kenny."

"Zordon..."

"There is _more?"_

"I'm sorry..." Zedd sighed. "The Stone Warriors and the Ranger Guard were involved in the battle... As you know, Kendall was turned. She gravely wounded Sir Ivan... As well as Mena..."

"My _cousin?_ Where _is_ she?"

Zedd put up a hand to calm him. "Andie healed them both. Unfortunately, she had to leave Sir Ivan wounded so she could save Mena, but he is not in mortal danger from his injuries anymore. Mena is fully healed and with the others at training."

Zordon nodded. "I see. Is that all?"

"I'm afraid not... Felina tried to force Andie to agree to go with her in exchange for saving the others. Darcy managed to trap Felina, so Andie was able to save them without sacrificing herself, but the Alchemist wounded Darcy severely. She's fine. Sage saved her... Before giving Zeke her shield and the Dragon Dagger and putting him in charge so she can focus on saving Kenny and hopefully the others..."

"I knew that would be Zeke's path one day. Sage is wise. I trust her judgment."

"Zordon... There's one other thing, and it's _very_ bad."

Zordon braced himself. "Has another Ranger been killed?" He forced himself to ask.

"No... But when Felina was freed, she managed to abduct someone..." Zedd sighed, then looked Zordon in the eye. "It was Andie."

Zordon felt like his head was going to explode. A burst of energy knocked Zedd back several feet as Zordon shouted, "He has my _mother?! Again?!"_

Zedd had been knocked down, but he quickly stood up and dusted himself off casually. "I'm sorry, Zordon. It happened too quickly. Greg was just a few feet away and even he couldn't reach them in time."

"I'm going after her," Zordon said firmly.

"No, you're _not._ You know I cannot allow it. Just as we had to stop Sir Ivan, and just as Darcy and Greg cannot go. We need a plan... And we must trust Sage. If anyone can get to them, it's Sage."

"I cannot sit back and wait while that monster has my mother!"

"Zordon... Don't make me call Anise."

"She'd go with me!"

"No. She'd agree with _me_ that we need a plan first. Please, Zordon... He put you through so much, and he _killed you_ the last time you met. He won't hesitate to do it again, and we _need_ you... I refuse to lose you, Brother."

Zordon sighed, forcing himself to calm down. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to knock you down... And you're correct."

"Don't worry about that. I'm fine... And the others will be fine, too. We'll get them back."

"'We'll get them back' is becoming our mantra with how frequently we say it... That needs to change." He sighed. "My father is winning, and every time we manage to gain a victory, he does something even worse... I cannot stand it anymore, Zedd..."

Zedd gently touched his arm. "Zordon... We _will_ defeat him, and this time when we destroy him, it will be for good. Do not give in to this despair and lose hope... We can do this."

Zordon nodded. "Thank you, Zedd. I suppose I was already upset... I am worried for Caius. He grieves deeply, and he is shutting the world out."

Zedd nodded. "Yes, I noticed that... But you know Caius, Zordon. This is just his process."

"This is not the first time someone gave their life in exchange for his, Zedd. It's harder for him because of that."

"We shall get him through this, just as we helped him mourn Rose."

Zordon had gotten Caius through a lot of his grief as, one by one, the people he loved passed away. Caius had taken comfort in the fact that Eltarians had remarkably long life spans even if they weren't immortal. Even as he lost everyone else, Zordon remained. Losing Xia had been the hardest. She lived a long and incredible life, but she was mortal. All mortal lives ended eventually.

Zordon flashed back on Galaxia's funeral. Zedd had shown up, hidden beneath a cloak, but they recognized him. That day, despite Zedd being evil, the three had grieved together. Zordon had even tried to comfort Zedd before helping Caius process his deep and overwhelming grief.

"Zordon... Are you alright?" Zedd asked.

"Yes... Just thinking too much," Zordon replied. He refused to mention the flashback. That day had been hard on Zedd and he didn't want to upset him.

"You often do." Zedd offered him a smile. "Things will work out, Zordon. He has made a terrible mistake in turning Lily... The last time he made such a serious error, it began his downfall. Have faith... Just like Raven and Quin used to say."

"Zedd... Do you ever feel like we're teenagers again making the same mistakes?"

"Well, you _are_ a teenager again, if we're being technical, and I became immortal at seventeen, so-"

"I don't mean that... It's just... I feel like history is going to repeat and we can do nothing to stop it." He sighed. "I miss our friends _so_ much, and looking at their descendants... All I want to do is protect them. I want to lock them away where my father will never find them. They've already been through so much..."

"The Chosen draw their strength from pain and trauma. You know that is the path they must walk."

"Why? Because my father abducted six of the seven originals immediately after they each suffered a significant trauma? Why should we let _him_ dictate their paths?"

Zedd looked at him sadly. "It's a horrible thing, to be certain... But, Zordon... None of us would have been even half as strong if he hadn't done that... In trying to break those destined to defeat him, he actually turned us into warriors."

Zordon knew he was right. It was still difficult to accept. "The first generation existed in another time, when teenagers were basically adults... Brian and Tia may be adults, but the rest are still children in so many ways."

"Yes, especially Tammy... Even Ollie is still just a boy... But trauma has made them grow up quickly. I worry for them, too, but the best thing we can do is be here to guide them. Speaking of which... Sage has asked me to lead Chosen training for a bit while Caius grieves for his brother. I'll be calling them together later, after Ranger training is over."

"Has he given any thought to the funeral?"

"He wants to do it on the Reservation. Sage spoke to Amos and David about it. They were working out the details the last I heard."

"I figured he might go that route... I shall check on him later and see if he needs anything... We cannot let him sink too deep into grief. Caius has been known to get lost there, and my father will use that against him."

"Tell him to call me if he needs me. I'll be there immediately."

"I will... Update me right away if anything more happens."

"Of course." Zedd gave Zordon a quick hug before heading out.

Zordon took a deep breath. His little brother was in danger. His evil sister had Kenny. His father had his mother and she was likely still weak. Rangers were dying left and right and others were being turned evil. Alex was a traitor. The Rebellion of Eltar was divided and he was relying on some of them to help him and not betray the good guys. Things just kept getting more and more out of control. He knew he needed to believe things would turn out alright in the end, but it was becoming harder by the minute.

 _ **VITELLA**_

It had taken a while for Vitella to make her way to Earth. She arrived with Rayne, a young Eltarian she'd recruited to the Rebellion on KO35. Rayne was brilliant and made an excellent lieutenant.

"Angel Grove," Rayne said, pointing to a sign. "We're here."

"We need to call a meeting... Are there any strong portal lines nearby?" Vitella asked.

Rayne used a scanner to check. "Yes. There's actually a perfect set of potential portal lines we can use to set up a hidden meeting space."

"Excellent... Let's go." They headed to the location, which was deep in the woods. Vitella set to work creating a space no one but the Rebels would be able to detect or get anywhere near. Even Zell would not be able to find them.

"Time for the _Bat Signal?"_ Rayne asked. She'd gone to Earth on several missions in the last forty or so years, and like a proper Rebel, she'd engrossed herself in as much of their pop culture as she could. She'd then explained much of it to Vitella, in case she ever needed to go to Earth. Vitella understood the reference.

"Exactly," she said. She closed her eyes and projected a symbol into the sky. Only Rebels would detect it among the clouds. It was the official seal of the Rebellion, a symbol only she or Garron could have cast. As soon as they saw it, the Rebels would touch a portal and be instantly transported to the meeting place.

The first person to arrive was someone unfamiliar. The woman was quite beautiful and wore a fashionable red dress and stiletto heels. She flashed Vitella a grin and said, "Hey, Vitti."

The impish grin gave it away. "Laby!" She cried, hugging him.

"Shhh... I'm incognito. I don't want Felina and crew to spot me, so I'm still cloaking my energy."

"Your secret is safe with me," Vitella promised. "I'm glad you came."

Laby hid in the back of the crowd as the others arrived. Many, Vitella recognized. Others were new faces. Some faces were missing and Vitella knew they must be dead. Every Rebel currently on Earth would have been summoned by the spell.

"Rebellion of Eltar!" Vitella greeted them. " _Bizzeh mada alebastes!"_

 _"Bizzeh mada alebastes!"_ They replied in unison.

"For any of you who do not know, I am Vitella, Founding Member of the Rebellion. I recently learned of the passing of Garron. I am deeply saddened by this loss, as well as the others we have suffered. However, I have come today not to discuss this, but to ask you all to stand united. It is my understanding that the Great Wizard of Eltar has returned. My friends... My _family..._ I implore you to see reason and know that he is _not_ our ally. The Rebellion of Eltar stands against government corruption in all its forms, and Eltar's Great Wizard is _exactly_ what we have vowed to destroy."

"Well, he resurrected us, so excuse us if we're loyal," Micah said casually.

"Micah of Eltar, after the crimes you have committed, I am stunned you would show your face today," Vitella said sharply. "To betray one Chapter of the Rebellion is to betray us _all._ And _you_ may _not_ speak of loyalty, for you know nothing of it."

A few people cheered this. Vitella recognized the Florida Chapter and offered them a smile. Boston cheered even louder. One man stood. It was Chaz, the leader of the Chapter which alternated between Australia, New Zealand, and Germany, moving their base as needed. "I did not bow when a dictator took over Germany, and I _certainly_ shall not bow to another monster trying to take over the world," he said firmly. Several of the Rebels nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Chaz... My friends... If you stand with Zell, you stand against the Rebellion. I officially declare that we are standing with Zordon and the Power Rangers. Any of you who wish to resist him shall be welcomed with open arms, despite any of your past actions. The time has come to declare your side... I shall give you a few minutes to consider your options. Thank you." Vitella stepped down from her podium and politely acknowledged the Rebels who came to greet her.

"Vitti, Luv! It is wonderful to see you," Kizzie said.

Captain Smith led his Chapter in offering the Rebellion salute before smiling at her. "That was an inspiring speech. I hope they will listen," he said. "As for the New York New Jersey Chapter, we stand firmly by your side."

"It's so good to see you, Captain Smith! I wish I could have reached out to you before... I am certain the traitors will remain loyal to Zell," Vitella said. "Thank you for respecting this space and not attacking them on sight. We will make sure they face the consequences of what they have done... I am terribly sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Vitti," he replied stoically.

The Florida Chapter approached them. "Hello, Vitti! Glorious to see you," the leader, Remo, said cheerfully.

"It's nice to see all of you again as well," Vitella replied.

"We stand with the Rebellion, of course. Only a fool would work for the Great Wizard."

"Damn right!" Vezza said. She was one of the few female Chapter leaders and was in charge of Boston. "Don't worry. Boston's on board and ready to fight the good fight."

Nigel of London and Andru of Scotland joined them. "The United Kingdom Chapters stand with the Rebellion," Nigel told her.

"Right! Let us at the Great Wizard... We'll show that cunt what we Scottish can do!" Andru echoed.

Rayne laughed. "You've been stationed in Scotland _way_ too long," she said. "Vitti, I think Andru's forgotten he's Eltarian."

Vitella laughed, too. "Yes, Andru certainly has assimilated well... Of course, he's been here for five thousand years or so," she said.

"Eltar kicked me out. Scotland embraces misfits like me," Andru said with a shrug.

"Do we have a plan of action?" Nigel asked.

"Yeah... We kick the cunt's ass and call it a day," Andru said casually.

"If _only_ it were that easy, Luv," Kizzie said with a sad smile.

"Kizzie! Get over here an' give me a kiss, Lass!" He opened his arms and Kizzie indulged him, hugging him and kissing his cheek.

A stoic man with two swords at his back approached. He bowed to her respectfully. "Vitella... Tokyo stands with you," he said.

"Thank you, Kyoko," Vitella replied.

"Seoul shall join the fight as well," Chung informed her.

Azzerwu, or Wu as he was called, hesitated. "Shanghai respectfully requests more time to consider our options," he said.

Vitella took a deep breath. "Very well, Wu... I trust you to choose wisely," she said. He respectfully bowed his head and returned to his chapter. "Everyone who has answered is free to leave. I shall be in touch soon."

Captain Smith and his chapter remained in a corner. Lido was with them, but he left on his own. Vitella knew he was on their side. Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai, Australia/New Zealand/Germany, London, and Scotland began to leave. Laby, still in female form, slipped out quietly. Micah took Neighbelle and Estos and left. Jaybert followed them immediately.

No one noticed the woman dressed in a cloak except for Vitella. Rayne followed her eyes and asked, "Who is that?"

"Someone I was told should be dead..." Vitella said as she recognized Amareese. "She must be hiding for a reason. I trust her. She's on our side."

Amareese nodded and lifted her head enough to offer them a quick smile before she vanished into a portal.

The Alchemist and the Warlock stood watching Vitella. She approached them cautiously. "Alchemist... Warlock... I am pleased to see you," she said. "It has been a long time."

"Vitella... Always a pleasure," the Alchemist said. The Warlock respectfully nodded in agreement.

"I heard the two of you were working with Zell... Is that the truth?" Vitella asked.

"We stand with the Alliance," the Alchemist confirmed.

"I don't understand. The two of you are much smarter than that. Why would you align yourselves with him?"

"We are following the path we must, Vitella... However, we hold no ill will toward you. Good luck." With that, the Alchemist led the Warlock away.

 _"Bonjour,"_ L'teia greeted her with a warm smile. She kissed each of Vitella's cheeks before saying, "Paris stands with the Rebellion."

" _Merci,"_ Vitella replied with a smile.

Two others stood before her. "I'm sorry, Vitella," Niko said. "My Chapter requires more time to discuss this matter."

Vitella was not surprised. The Greek Chapter liked to take their time making decisions, especially important ones. "I understand, Niko. Please reach out to me as soon as you decide," she replied.

"Of course." He walked away and vanished with his Chapter.

"Rome also requests an extension," Tutty told her. "I apologize, but it seems we cannot currently come to a unified decision."

"Very well," Vitella replied. Tutty saluted her before leaving with his Chapter.

"Vitella!" Two voices cried in unison.

"It's such an honor-" The woman said.

"To finally meet you!" The man finished.

Vitella turned toward the twins and offered them a warm smile. "You must be Boom and Blast... Garron spoke very highly of you both," she said.

The twins both had small tears in their eyes at the mention of their former Chapter leader. "We're all that's left..." They said in eerie unison.

"I know what became of Las Vegas... I'm so sorry for your losses. I know you were the two youngest members. This must have been difficult for you." She recalled Garron saying the twins were around a hundred and fifty or so years old. They'd been born around the same time B'Danna and Draze were. Garron had recruited them when they were only sixteen after discovering their love for weapons and explosions.

"Vitella... Ma'am..." Boom said hesitantly.

"Or Madame... Or..." Blast added.

"Vitti's fine," she told them. "There's no need to be formal."

"Vitti..." They said in unison.

"You said you'd welcome _anyone,"_ Boom began.

"Despite any past actions and choices?" Blast finished.

"I did, and we will," Vitella said, not sure if the unpredictable twins were taking this in the direction she thought they might be.

 _"Vide piel virit,"_ the twins said very softly, reciting the _I am loyal_ mantra.

Vitella nodded. "Then you are welcome," she promised just as softly.

"He'll kill us," Boom whispered.

"Without a second thought," Blast added. "We thought Garron-"

"Would have wanted us to stay with Raff, but-"

"Raff's dead... And we've done _everything-"_

"That the Great Wizard's asked, but-"

"We don't want to anymore..." They finished in unison.

"You don't?" Vitella asked. "Why the change of heart?"

"He's becoming unstable," Boom said more seriously than Vitella expected her to be capable off. Garron had always described the twins as a bit flighty and whimsical , seeing the universe from their own unusual bubble.

"He does things that make no sense," Blast added.

"He resurrects traitors..."

"And he can't control Lily."

"Right! Lily's going to blow us all up-"

"Kaboom! And he's too arrogant-"

"To see it coming."

"Garron wouldn't stand with him if he saw him like this..."

"And we may be part of the Alliance, but-"

"We're Rebels first," they explained in unison.

 _"Bizzeh mada alebastes,"_ Vitella said.

"Hail to those who resist!" The twins translated in unison.

"If you stand with us, I will gladly accept you as representatives of the Las Vegas Chapter... We'll reclaim the territory. I will call in Stone to lead. He's been stationed on Eltar, but I believe it is time he take control. If anyone is a worthy successor to Garron, it is Stone. For the time being, I shall arrange a sanctuary for you so the Great Wizard cannot find you."

"Yay! We quit!" Boom declared.

"Woo-hoo! Suck it, Not-So-Great Wizard!" Blast added with a huge grin.

Vitella smiled at them kindly. "Rayne, please cloak them until we can get them set up properly," she said.

"Of course," Rayne replied. "Come on, Twins." She led them away.

Vitella turned and saw a boy staring at her with a cocky smirk. "What are you offering?" He asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Vitella asked.

"The name's Baxzon... You can call me Bax. I'm a member of Great Zell's Alliance. What are you offering if I leave?"

Vitella frowned at the arrogant child. "Forgiveness of your pasts acts, if you vow to stand with us," she replied.

"Yeah, sure, but what _else?"_

"The chance to do the right thing."

"Pass... Unless you sweeten the deal. He gives us certain perks when we join him... And he resurrected me... So, again, what are _you_ offering to get me to switch sides?"

"Young man, I don't make those sorts of bargains," she said firmly. "If all you want to know is what we'll give you for joining our side, you do not belong with us."

He rolled his eyes. "Your loss, Bitch."

Suddenly, someone grabbed Bax by his throat. The boy made choking sounds as the hand squeezed tighter. " _Apologize,"_ a man said. Vitella recognized Bartello, one of the oldest surviving Rebellion members.

"What?" Bax croaked out.

"Apologize for disrespecting our last remaining Founding Member, pathetic creature," Bartello elaborated.

Bax started to say no, but the hand tightened again. "Fine..." He gasped. The hand released slightly. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice raw.

"Go on your way, you insignificant gnat," the man said.

" _Adios,_ Asshole," the person standing beside him added. Vitella grinned as she recognized Bartello's younger brother, Zee.

Bax looked homicidal, but he left quickly. A girl who looked quite a bit like Zydia followed him. Vitella knew that must be her daughter, Zizi. Captain Smith had sent word that Zizi was undercover in the Alliance.

"Vitti... It's been a while," Bartello said with a charming smile.

"Vitti!" Zee said with an adorable grin on his face. No matter how long the brothers had been alive, Zee still acted like a child.

"Barty... Zee... It's so good to see you both," Vitella said honestly. Not many people who'd know Vitella before the Rebellion had changed from a movement of peaceful resistance to the warriors they had become were still alive. It was nice to see these two in particular.

"I figured I should give formal notice that Barcelona stands with the Rebellion," Bartello said. "We shall _never_ stand with that monster."

"Thank you, Barty. Really." Only a handful of people got away with calling Bartello "Barty." He tolerated it from his baby brother, the only family he had left, and from Vitella and Laby. It was possible they were the only ones still alive who could use the nickname and survive.

"Did you expect otherwise? We _hate_ the fucker," Zee reminded her.

"Zeenazene, what have I told you about that mouth of yours?" Bartello asked disapprovingly.

Zee cringed at the use of his proper name. "That it's fucking filthy?" He joked.

Vitella couldn't help but laugh at the frustrated expression on Bartello's face. "What am I going to do with you?" He asked.

"Love me?" Zee suggested, giving him another adorable expression.

Bartello shook his head. "I do," he said. "If I didn't, I'd have killed you millennia ago."

"You two have not changed in all this time," Vitella said with a laugh. "Don't." She spotted someone remaining behind. "Excuse me," she said politely.

Felina stood in another corner, arms across her chest, looking at Kizzie. Vitella approached her. "Felina... It's been quite some time," she said.

"It has, Vitti," Felina replied softly. "I did not expect you on Earth."

"With Garron gone, the Rebellion needs me... Felina-"

"You _know_ where I stand, Vitti... So do not bother asking."

"You can choose another path, Felina. It's never too late."

"You always were an idealist."

"Felina-"

"I have done far too much to turn back now."

"Felina, please... You are one of my oldest friends. You saved my life and tried to save my child... I wish to help you."

"I don't need help."

"He is a monster-"

" _Vide piel virit!_ I am loyal!"

"Yes, Felina... You _are..._ But what about loyalty to _yourself?"_

Felina hesitated for just a moment. "I owe him _everything,_ Vitella," she said softly.

"No, Luv, you _don't,"_ Kizzie said, joining them.

"Kizzie..." Felina said.

"Felina, Luv, listen to reason. We are your friends. We'll help you," Kizzie insisted.

"After all I have done, I doubt that."

"You were following the orders of the man you've been forced to view as your savior... But, Felina, Zell shall be your _damnation."_

"I am _already_ damned, Kizzie." She shook her head. "You side with Zordon, but I handed his _mother_ off to the man he despises more than any other."

"We will forgive every past misdeed you have committed if you stand with us now," Vitella said firmly.

Felina almost looked like she wanted to believe that. Instead, she said stubbornly, "Do not make promises you cannot keep, Vitella... I am a traitor to the Rebellion."

"Felina, nothing you did is considered being a true traitor-"

"I drove Raffitty mad!" Felina blurted out.

Vitella hesitated. Kizzie stared at her in surprise. "What do you mean, Felina?" A new voice asked softly.

Felina turned to face Captain Smith. She hesitated slightly before apparently deciding it was too late to turn back now. "You saw for yourself the ways in which Raffitty changed as time went on... He was once a good man... One who despised child abusers and rapists more than anything... Yet he raped Allie, justifying it by telling himself a Tulpa could not refuse because they are not real. He hesitated yet stood by Garron after he and Zydia authorized and even celebrated the slaughtering of school children during the attack on Eltar. He was once a brilliant tactician, yet he began making one foolish choice after another... He could not help himself, Captain Smith... You see, repeated, careful exposure to _vizu_ wore away at his sanity."

"No... Felina, you _didn't..."_ Kizzie said in horror. "After everything that happened with Jaybert, how _could_ you?"

"As you all know, when I was a girl, I learned to control the demonic creatures. Like Belladonna, I possessed the rare title of _Vizu Queen..._ Not in the way Jaybert dubs himself a _Vizu King,_ but in truth. The Great Zell insisted I learn to do this. I never understood why... Not until he returned. He was not yet strong enough to come to me, but he sent me a clear message... I was to drive Raffitty mad... To force him to push everyone away until he was completely isolated and felt he had no choice but to turn to Zell. I delivered him to Zell to become his battery... I am the reason he is dead!"

Vitella sighed. "Felina... Yes, handing your Chapter Captain over to that monster is the act of a traitor... However, I believe that you had little control over your own actions. Your loyalty to Zell goes back to your childhood. You cannot help yourself," she said.

"I make my own choices, Vitti... And I choose Zell. _Always."_

"He fought..." Captain Smith said softly. "And ultimately walked away."

Felina looked almost remorseful as she faced him. "He fought," she confirmed. "Even as he did horrific things, Raff questioned himself. He was horrified by his own actions, but could not stop himself... I turned him into the very sort of monster he despised the most."

"Thank you, Felina."

She stared at him. "Pardon?"

"Thank you... For telling us the truth. I could not understand what happened to my oldest, dearest friend... Finally, I have the answer. It may not change the outcome, but at least I know that none of this was Raff's fault." He turned to Kizzie. "It is time for us to leave now, Kizzie."

"Of course, Sir," Kizzie said quickly. She paused for a moment. "Felina... It is _never_ too late to change your path," she said firmly before following Captain Smith.

"She's right," Vitella said. "If you leave his side, the Rebellion of Eltar will welcome you back with open arms. I promise you this."

"I can't, Vitti... I'm sorry."

"Then the next time we meet, it shall be as enemies," Vitella said sadly.

"I know this," Felina said with her own sadness. Vitella understood that Felina had resigned herself to the fact that she was doomed.

"Good luck to you, Felina," Vitella said, giving her a hug. Felina stiffened in surprise before hugging her back. _"Bizzeh mada alebastes."_

 _"Bizzeh mada alebastes,"_ Felina replied softly before Vitella released her. Felina offered up the Rebellion's salute before touching a portal line and vanishing.

 _God help her,_ Vitella thought. She prayed Felina would change her mind, but knew the chances of that were slim.

 _ **ANDIE**_

She woke up feeling significantly stronger. She was surprised to see someone standing over her bed, and she jumped back, ready to fight. "I'm sorry," the girl said quickly. "I didn't mean to startle you... Great Zell asked me to help you get ready for dinner." She paused, nervously adjusting her glasses. "I'm Sharon... And you're Daphne, right? His wife?"

"First of all, my name is _Andie,"_ Andie replied firmly, trying to remind herself of that fact. "Second, no. I'm _not_ his wife. I'm only sixteen... But a long time ago, in a past life, yes... I was his wife, Daphne."

"Oh... I'm sorry," Sharon said awkwardly. "He told me... Never mind."

Andie realized how out of place this girl actually was. "Sharon... I'm sorry I snapped at you. Who exactly are you?"

"I'm one of the Children of the Flame... There are three of us here. Great Zell is taking care of us. He had Felina rescue me from the hospital... They thought I was mad."

"Children of the Flame?" Andie repeated.

"Yes... Great Zell created us in the fire, from one Ranger parent and the Flames."

Andie gasped. _Edmund..._ She realized. _That's how Edmund, Denni, and Marco were born._ "Who is your mother?" She asked.

"Her name was Kendrix... She died a long time ago."

Andie thought about the stories she'd heard from other Rangers about their teams. "Kendrix... The Lost Galaxy Pink Ranger before Karone," she registered aloud.

Sharon nodded. "Yes," she confirmed. "So, anyway... You should get ready. He likes punctuality."

"Sharon... Why did he send _you_ to bring me to him?"

"He's very protective of you, Miss Andie... He doesn't trust anyone else not to hurt you, but, well, I'm not a violent person... As long as I don't lose control of my powers, that is. The magic on this room should protect you from any misfirings I might have."

"Zell wants to protect me?"

"Of course... You're his... I mean, you _were_ his wife." Sharon smiled at her awkwardly. "Please get ready... I don't want to upset him."

Realizing Sharon wasn't a bad person, Andie quickly slipped into the bathroom and showered. It made her feel better, and it gave her a few minutes to clear her head. She dried herself off and got dressed. The clothing wasn't actually that bad considering a sociopath had ordered someone to pick the items out. It was comfortable and fairly functional, and she had selected a pair of blue jeans and a pale pink sweater. She slipped her sneakers on, ignoring the dresses and gowns that were also in the room. Andie pulled her hair into a messy ponytail and prepared to face whatever was coming next.

Sharon led her to an impressive dining room. The table was enormous and had several people seated at it. Zell walked in right behind her and pulled out a chair. "Sit, my darling," he said.

Andie reluctantly sat down. Zell sat in the next chair, which was at the head of the table. "Welcome, Guests! I do hope you enjoy this meal," he said grandly.

Kenny sat next to Katherine. He looked weak and exhausted. Lachlan sat looking terrified. He was with a girl that Sharon eagerly sat beside and a boy Andie knew must be Jared. He looked nervous, but did not appear injured. Zell waved his hand and food appeared on everyone's plates.

Andie knew Zell wasn't interested in poisoning them. That was not his style. She also knew if she didn't eat, she'd get weaker, so she cautiously began to eat as Zell encouraged everyone to do so.

Kenny stared at his plate, refusing to move. "Kenny, eat, sweetheart," Katherine said.

"No," Kenny said firmly.

"I can tell you haven't eaten in over a day. Go on. It's Earth food. There's nothing to worry about," Katherine insisted.

"I'm not hungry," Kenny said, refusing to budge.

"Nonsense. You're starving. Here," Katherine said. She took his fork and lifted some food onto it.

"Kat... I said _no,"_ Kenny said.

Katherine sighed. "You poor boy... Your former coach and your bastard father made you so prone to anorexic fits... Please eat, Kenny. I promise it's not poisoned or drugged. The others are eating and are fine."

"I'm not hungry," he said again.

"Kenny-"

"You _know_ me. I can't eat when I'm stressed. I'm _really_ stressed. If you want me to eat, send me back home, and let me take the others with me."

Andie had to admire his attempt. "I can't do that, Kenny," Katherine replied. "But I really _do_ want you to take care of yourself. A boy needs to eat."

Kenny still didn't move. Katherine stopped trying to convince him. Everyone else ate as Zell attempted to make some form of pleasant small talk. It was the strangest, most awkward, and possibly most terrifying "family dinner" in history. Andie remained silent, desperately trying to make sense of this insane nightmare she was trapped in.

"Lachlan, my boy... Please tell me about yourself. Now that we are reunited, I want to know _everything_ about you," Zell said pleasantly.

"Well, um... I just moved to California. I enjoy reading... I'm quite good at school... I am not one for sport, except football... British, not American... I'm gay... Figured you might as well know that, seeing as how you're apparently my father and all..." Lachlan said awkwardly.

"How interesting... I had not anticipated that detail... Well, to each his own. I'm sure you'll find a suitable partner to help you rule the world one day."

 _Well, at least it's nice to know he's not homophobic,_ Andie thought to herself, nearly laughing at the absurd thought.

"Um... Thank you?" Lachlan replied.

"Of course, my dear boy. Now... Felina. I understand those of you from the Rebellion gathered today?" Zell asked.

"Yes, my Lord," Felina replied a bit nervously from his other side.

"What became of the twins?"

"They defected, my Lord... They were promised protection and forgiveness if they sided against you. We _all_ were."

"I see... The rest of you declined the offer?"

"Yes, my Lord. Our loyalty is to you."

He patted her head affectionately as though she were a dog. "Very good. Thank you, my dear... I appreciate those of you who have remained by my side and promise you shall be rewarded." He paused. "Did anyone seem open to joining us?"

"There were three Chapters who refrained from declaring a side... The Chinese, the Greeks, and the Italians," Felina explained.

"Excellent. Reach out to them. I would like to meet with them."

"Of course..."

Zell smiled pleasantly at Andie. "Are you enjoying your meal, my dear one?" He asked.

Andie stared at her plate, refusing to reply. "Daphne... You look so lost... This is your home, my darling. What can I do to put you at ease?" Zell asked.

"This isn't my home," she replied softly.

"Of course it is... You are my wife. I shall grant you anything you desire, Daphne."

"I desire my _freedom."_

"In time, my dear... Until then, I suppose you need a sense of purpose... Yes, I shall find you one very soon, my darling. Do not worry."

She had no idea what that meant but was pretty sure she didn't want to know. Zell perked up suddenly and asked, "Now... Who is ready for dessert?"

Kenny looked at Andie and mouthed, _What the fuck?_ She shrugged, not entirely sure why Zell was acting like this was all perfectly normal and they were one big happy family. She'd known he was psychotic, but this reached a new level.

It continued for a bit as they ate the sweets he'd manifested. Kenny still refused to eat anything. One of the items Zell placed in front of Andie made her pause. She looked at the familiar, sweet fruit he'd carefully carved up and plated. "Your favorite dessert, my darling," he said. "I had Maizon grow it in the garden in the hopes of serving it to you when returned to me," he added softly.

Daphne became overwhelmingly aware as Zell looked into her eyes. He reached toward her gently and tried to stroke her cheek. That was when panic overwhelmed Andie and she jumped away from him. She stood up and said sharply, "Don't!"

Kenny looked like he was ready to jump to her rescue, but Zell didn't attack her. Instead, he frowned. "I'm not trying to harm you, my dear... Why are you so frightened?" He asked. He seemed genuinely confused.

Andie shook her head and ran from the room. "Everyone... Remain here and enjoy your dessert," she heard Zell say, playing the perfect host. Then, he came after her.

Since there was no way to find the exit, Andie ducked into a room and tried to hide. She knew it was pointless, but she needed time to calm down. She curled up in a ball in the corner and struggled to breathe. She didn't even know if it was her own panic or Daphne's anymore.

To her surprise, Zell did not attack the moment he found her. Instead, he entered the room cautiously. "Daphne..." He called softly. He approached her as though he were approaching a frightened child. He knelt down beside her, careful to give her some space after wrapping a blanket around her.

Andie stared at him in surprise. "Do not be afraid, my sweet Daphne," he said gently. "Tell me what I did to frighten you so."

"I don't like to be touched," Andie said.

"Yet your gift requires you to touch someone in order to heal them..."

"That's different... I can put my issues aside to help people."

He smiled at her. His eyes had light in them. She hadn't expected that. "You always put the needs of others before your own, my darling," he said fondly. "You are still so beautiful... To your very core." He paused. "Why do you fear touch, my dear one? What happened in your young life that causes you to flee from the simplest gesture of affection?"

Before she could stop him, Zell touched her head. She wanted to pull away, but she couldn't. As he looked into her eyes, Andie knew he was seeing something else. Slowly, his eyes began to show rage. When he finally looked away, he closed his eyes and whispered a spell she could not hear.

The room seemed to turn colder. Andie knew something major had just been done. Zell opened his eyes and looked at her. "Never again..." He whispered.

"What do you mean?" Andie forced herself to ask.

"The foster families... The _swine_ your father called friends... The drug dealers... None of them shall _ever_ harm you again."

Andie stared at him. "What did you do?" She whispered.

"I destroyed them... Every last monster who dared to lay a hand on you is dead. They paid the price for their vile acts."

Andie was horrified. She felt sick. Her chest ached. "No..." She whispered.

"How _dare_ they touch you?!" Zell demanded. "They sealed their fate the moment they did!"

"This _isn't_ what I wanted!" Andie cried.

"Of course it's not, my dear one... You are _far_ too gentle... However, it is what you _deserve."_

"Murder is _wrong,"_ Andie protested. "No matter _what_ a person has done."

He looked at her with something close to love in his eyes. "You are so terribly forgiving, my Daphne... You need someone to protect you from those who mean you harm. As a child, you had Bella and Ash... But later, you had me. And now, you have me again."

"You claim you want to protect me from harm, but... You _murdered_ Daphne, Zell! I'm _not_ her. I reincarnated because I _died,_ and that happened at _your_ hands!"

He looked almost remorseful. "Oh, Daphne... You shall never know how difficult that was for me... I never wanted to harm you, but you left me little choice... I very nearly loved you. You were the weakness I could not afford, but it haunts me... To this day... I _miss_ you, my dear one."

She wanted to call him a liar, but she could see in his eyes that on some level, he _did_ miss Daphne. That was why he was so desperate to get her back.

"If you want me to trust you... Undo what you just did," Andie said softly. "Go back in time and stop yourself from killing them."

"I wish that I could grant your request, Daphne... However, their fate was just. I must protect you... I had to destroy them for what they did. You'll understand one day."

"Zell... _Please,"_ she begged. She hated begging that monster for _anything,_ but he'd just killed a _lot_ of people in her name. The guilt was overwhelming.

"I'm sorry, my dear... Truly... But this is for your own good." He touched her and Andie could see their faces. She could hear their screams as they died in various unexplained ways. She knew they'd hurt her, but that didn't mean they'd deserved this fate.

Andie began to cry. She couldn't stop as the guilt completely consumed her. She barely noticed as Zell stroked her head in an act meant to comfort her. When it failed, he scooped her up in his arms. Andie was too exhausted to fight as he carried her to her room and put her on the bed.

Zell covered her before saying softly, "I had to, my dear... For you." With that, he left the room.

 _ **OLLIE**_

He watched as the other Chosen trained hard. Caleb had taken time to stay with Caius, but everyone else was present. Zedd wasn't a bad mentor, and he'd done it before, but it was clear everyone was distracted by their concern for Caius. Because of this, Zedd had suggested they test their limits with their magic for a bit.

Ollie dipped in and out of the shadows, speeding up the process and attacking with his sword without hurting any of his friends. After nearly an hour of this, he took a few minutes to check on his team.

Tammy was trying to aim her light and use it as a weapon. They knew Raven could attack demons and evil things with his light, but for the most part, he'd used it to comfort and inspire the others. Tammy tended to do the same, but the death of Ares had prompted her to go into Full Battle Mode. She was back to trying to become fiercer and more dangerous to their enemies. Her light nearly blinded Ollie as she sent it toward a target. He realized how much stronger it had become since she'd absorbed her duplicate power.

"Good work, Tammy," he said encouragingly as he moved to safety.

"I can do better," Tammy insisted. He knew better than to suggest she take a break.

Brian played with fire, attacking targets one second and making the flames dance or take on humorous forms the next. "You've gotten _really_ good at this, Brian," Ollie informed him.

"Practice makes perfect," Brian replied cheerfully.

Tia was alternating between casting spells, using portals, and levitating. Ollie watched as she hovered in the air before attacking a target. He was impressed by her discipline and how far she'd come. Since absorbing her duplicate power, Tia had begun combining her magic. She could cast, open portals, and levitate at once when she tried to, and her spells had grown significantly stronger.

Taylor was accepting some professional tips from Zedd. Although Taylor had proven to be an impressively powerful incubus when he'd drained Zell in battle, he was still learning the full extent of his powers. Every day, he gained a little more confidence. Now that he'd absorbed his duplicate powers, he visibly glowed with energy, and it was important he learn to control it properly before he tried to use it in battle.

Angie was casting spells left and right. She was currently making the trees march into battle. "Does that kill them? Pulling them from the ground, I mean?" Ollie asked.

"No," Angie replied. "They're enchanted. Once they've served their purpose, they go back to their original spots and reattach to their roots." She demonstrated.

"That's pretty cool, Angie," Ollie said. He was impressed. Angie had always had strong magic, but ever since she'd absorbed her duplicate power, she was a hundred times more powerful.

 _Some leader_ you _are,_ Ollie thought. Almost everyone else had absorbed their duplicate powers. Brian, Caleb, and Ollie were the only ones who hadn't. Ollie was surprised because both Brian and Caleb had faced instances where they could have been killed, but for whatever reason, the power had held off on fully bonding with them. Ollie hadn't really been in a situation where he'd needed the power boost yet, but he'd hoped he was training hard enough to unlock it. Apparently, Dimitri didn't think he was ready yet.

Angie sighed and hesitated before casting a new spell. "Are you doing okay, Angie?" Ollie asked.

"No... I'm worried sick about Kenny... And I want to go after him, but I know we can't," Angie replied honestly. "It's killing me."

"I know... We'll get him back, Ang... Him, Andie, and Lach."

"Kimberly's ready to run in herself. Billy practically had to sit on her to stop her... And Josh still won't come out of his room. He's not even going to school. I don't know if they told him Kenny's missing."

"Sage is on it. She'll find a way to save them. You know she won't stop until she does."

Angie nodded. "I know... It's just so hard to sit back and do nothing when I know Zell has them... Especially since it's Katherine that took Kenny. He won't hurt her... Which means she can hurt him."

Ollie pushed away the flash of Katherine and what she'd done to him. He was good at putting his own issues aside when the team needed him. "Kenny is tough, Angie, and he's resourceful. He'll get through this."

"I know... I'm just a bit of a neurotic mess right now," Angie said with a slight smile. "Thanks for reassuring me."

"Anytime."

Ollie went back to training. A little while later, Zedd ended the session. Ollie grabbed Tammy and said, "Let's go get dinner."

Tammy smiled at him, but it wasn't as bright as usual. "Sure," she said. "Food is good."

Ollie led her to her favorite spot in Angel Grove. They ordered food and sat patiently waiting. "So, Tam, what are we doing for your birthday this year?" Ollie asked. Tammy loved celebrating birthdays, especially her own.

"Training," she replied with a shrug. "The bad guys won't stop attacking and plotting just because I'm turning fifteen."

"Okay, but what about after?"

"Nothing."

"But, Tammy, you love birthdays."

"I'm over it."

Suddenly, Ollie understood what she wasn't saying. "This is your first birthday without your dad," he realized.

"It's fine," Tammy said quickly.

"Tam... I get it," Ollie reminded her. "My mom died right before my fifteenth birthday. I didn't want to do anything, either... Especially since Dad was being such an ass at the time. No one but you and Luke even remembered it was my birthday, which was why Sage had Dustin throw me that party afterward... And it helped, Tammy. As much as I wanted to vanish into my grief and disappear, knowing the Power Rangers and the Chosen were there for me made a huge difference. This year, I let myself celebrate my sixteenth birthday. It's what she would have wanted."

"Look... I know you guys are here for me, and I appreciate it... But I _really_ miss him, and it's just not the same now... I want to get excited about my birthday, but Dad's gone, and so many other Rangers are, too, and our friends are missing, and some people are being turned evil, and Caius is grieving his brother, and I don't think it's right to ask everyone to act like none of that is happening just because it's my birthday." She paused before adding, "It's selfish."

"Tammy, you're _so_ important to all of us. We love you. Your birthday marks an _incredible_ thing because it brought you to us. You are _literally_ our light. I'm sure everyone wants to celebrate that. It's _not_ selfish."

She smiled at him sadly. "You're sweet for trying so hard, Ollie... But it's not a big deal. I don't need to have a party this year."

It was still bothering Ollie how defeated Tammy was when he got home. He called his uncle for advice. "Hey, Kiddo, what's up?" Lee asked.

"Uncle Lee... I want to do something special for Tammy. She's having a hard time and she deserves to smile," he explained. "I remember you telling me about how you and Aunt Ronnie finally became official... You acted all goofy and over-the-top and sang to her, right?"

"Well, I didn't do the singing... I'm tone deaf, remember?" Lee asked with a laugh. "But I pretended to sing while my friend Austin serenaded her. It was pretty epic, actually."

"Tammy really loves One Direction. They're special to her... And I made fun of them all the time until she told me they remind her of her dad... Anyway, I want to try something... Can you and your friend Austin help me out?"

"Kid, you're a boy after my own heart. Of _course_ I'll help, and Austin's a hopeless romantic. I'm sure he'll agree, too."

"Thanks, Uncle Lee."

"Any time, Ollie."

They hung up and Ollie hoped his idea would help Tammy's smile return.

 _ **LABY**_

He knew something was wrong as soon as he saw Darcy coming toward him. Her eyes were desperate in a way that meant something catastrophic must have happened. Lido stood over her protectively, making Laby even more concerned.

"Darcy… What's wrong?" Laby asked.

"Laby… He has my sister…" Darcy replied.

Laby's chest felt tight. "Tell me _everything,"_ he said.

"There was trouble… The Legacy team called for backup, and we went with the Ranger Guard. Things started off okay, but then they got his son… Lach."

Laby froze. "They have Lachlan…" He repeated. He hadn't told her who Lachlan was to him. _He has Amareese's son… You_ promised _you'd protect that kid, and now the bastard has him…_

"Yeah, which is bad enough… But then, his bitch daughter Katherine took Kenny, from the Legacy team… And all hell broke loose because Kendall from Sir Ivan's team is currently evil and she tried to kill several people, including Ivan. Being the sort of man he is, Ivan refused to hurt her, and she shoved a sword through him… Then she went after Allie, which didn't work because Allie used to be a Tulpa and is still basically indestructible. She shoved the sword through Mena instead. Needless to say, my sister immediately tried bargaining with Felina to save them. She offered to exchange herself if Felina just let her heal them, but I trapped the Witch Bitch and prevented that. Anyway, Andie healed Ivan enough that he'd survive and then healed Mena, because she was in worse shape. Before she could do anything else, I ended up getting attacked. The Alchemist impaled my side, but she wasn't aiming to kill me. I think she just wanted to free Felina." Darcy sighed. "Andie came running to try and save me, with Greg not far behind her, but before she could reach me, Felina grabbed her and jumped into a portal. There was nothing we could do… And now that _monster_ has my sister and I can't just run in after her because I know it's a trap and they'll be ready for me."

 _Damnit, Felina,_ he thought. _Why do you keep making all the wrong choices?_ Laby looked into Darcy's eyes and took a deep breath. "Your sister's going to be fine, Darcy," he said gently.

"I know that… Andie's tough… But…" She shook her head. "The things he could do to her before we get her back… I just… I can't stop thinking about her being trapped with him…"

"She's going to be fine because I'm going in after her," Laby said firmly.

"Laby, no. You can't!"

"I _have_ to." He paused. "Look, I've been waiting for a sign that it was time to go in undercover and see just how bad things are at their base… This is a hell of a sign. As far as he's concerned, he's got Daphne back. There's no telling what he'll do. It's time to set my plan in motion."

"What's your plan?"

"Winging it," he said with a smirk.

"Laby-"

"I'll be okay, Darcy. Zell never knew how to handle me… It's part of why he pushed me out of Sera's life as much as he could… But he wants me on his side, and he's arrogant as all hell. He knows I have literally _nothing_ left to lose, so he'll assume I really do want to work with him." He looked into her eyes again. "I'm not going to let him hurt your sister ever again. I promise. Let me do this."

Darcy nodded before flinging her arms around him. He was hit with so much of Serafine's energy, he nearly started to cry. Instead, he just held her. "Be careful," she said softly.

"I'll do my best," he promised.

"When do you plan to do this?" Lido asked, reminding Laby he was even there.

"As soon as possible… I just need to take a little while to get my mind focused and keep him from reading me," Laby replied. "Lido… Can you see anything?"

"She's upset," Lido said. "It's what made me connect to her and realize he had her to begin with. She managed to stay somewhat calm when she was initially taken, and the wards on the property blocked me slightly, but not fully… When it happened, she connected to me, and as soon as I could focus, I went in search of Darcy."

"When _what_ happened?" Laby asked.

"Andie has been through much trauma in her life… Often at the hands of adults around her, or older teenagers… When Zell realized the extent, he slaughtered them all. Much like Daphne, Andie is a very gentle girl. She does not believe in punishing people with death, no matter how evil they may be. She despises that sort of act. She even tried to spare Garron's life when he was actively attacking her team. To know such an act was committed in her name…"

"Devastated her," Laby said, understanding. "Classic Daphne... The poor girl…" He sighed. "That's probably only the beginning of what he'll put her through psychologically, which is why I have to get her out of there as soon as possible. I'll try to get the others out, too. Where's your brother, anyway?" He asked Darcy.

"Greg's with Mena. Anise is really trying to figure out what the Alchemist and the Warlock did on Eltar while the Counsel Building was under attack. There's no record of them directly killing anyone or even participating in the attack, yet they showed up to join the Rebels that day. It's suspicious. Anyway, Mena has this gift where she can find literally _anything,_ even if she's not sure what she's looking for, so she agreed to help. It's better anyway… She's blaming herself for Andie getting kidnapped, but it's not her fault at all. Anyway, Greg opened a portal to Eltar and went with her to keep her safe," Darcy explained.

"It _is_ suspicious, actually," Laby agreed. "They're two of the smartest people I've ever met and they're extremely powerful. There's no logical reason for them to be working for Zell… And as far as joining in on that attack, they're not big on group activities. Their participation with the Rebellion has always been minimal at best. They were definitely up to something."

"If anyone can figure that out, it's Mena and Greg… And it's a good distraction for the two of them."

Laby nodded. "I'm going to start getting ready. I'll be in touch when I can, but obviously, I have to be careful. If you need me, I'll sense it and come find you."

"Laby… Don't do anything stupid, okay?"

"Relax. I'm immortal, remember?" He grinned at her. "Sera mixed so many spells into my energy, not even Zell could figure out how to undo what she did. I'll be fine."

"I love you, Laby," she told him. "Thank you for doing this." He could see Serafine looking at him through Darcy's eyes.

"Anytime," he replied. He hesitated, then added softly, "And I love you, too, Sera…" He turned and walked away before anything distracted him. He knew he had precious little time to waste.

 _ **PIERCE**_

He knew before Darcy contacted him that something was wrong. He looked at his phone and saw the text message asking, _When will you guys be able to come back?_

 _What's wrong?_ He sent back.

 _He has Andie._

Those three words sent chills through his entire body. He looked at his brother. "Logan… We have to go back to Angel Grove," he said.

"What's going on?" Logan asked in confusion.

"Zell's got Andie."

"Shit… Well, we were pretty much done here, anyway. I'm ready when you are."

Pierce nodded. "Can you go tell everyone we're heading back? I'll find you in a few minutes."

"Of course." His brother left him alone.

Pierce walked outside and sent a text back to Darcy. _We'll be home tonight. Stay strong. Call me if anything else happens._

He began walking, finding himself naturally drawn to the lake nearby. He touched the water and was startled when his reflection seemed to grab his hand. The image changed to that of another person.

"Pierce…" The man said softly.

"Holy fuck… Am I hallucinating, or…?" Pierce managed to ask.

"Pierce, listen to me… We have very little time… Sage managed to bring me high enough in the Underworld that I could reach out to communicate, just once… You _must_ pay attention."

"Okay… Sure," Pierce said nervously.

"I am Elgan, of Eltar… Father of Rey, Grandfather of Mena… And brother of Zell."

Pierce stared at him. He took a deep breath, trying to mentally prepare himself for whatever was to come. "Alright… I'm listening," he promised.

"History is a cycle, Pierce… It repeats."

"Not always."

"Not if we learn from it… But some lessons are difficult to accept." Elgan paused. "Your brother's destiny shall lead him away from the light, Pierce."

"Look, I know we're supposed to be the new set of brothers and all, but Logan's not Zell," Pierce said firmly.

"Zell wasn't always the way he is now either… I loved my brother with all that I had. He raised me from the time I was seven, after we lost our parents… And I didn't find out until I was well over a century old that he'd been the one to murder them while they slept." Elgan hesitated. "I never wanted to believe that my brother was capable of such unspeakable evil, Pierce, just as you do not wish to believe it of Logan. I am not saying your brother will end up the way mine did… But I am trying to warn you that he is on a path which creates monsters, and without help, he stands to become the next Zell."

"That's bullshit… Logan's not evil. Raffitty brainwashed him and made him into a killer, but he doesn't want to hurt anyone. He doesn't care about power. He's not like Zell at all."

"With the right nudge, he may find himself leaning more toward the darkness daily. And my brother is very determined to give him that nudge. Please, Pierce… If your brother should turn, you are the only one who can save him. I know I ask too much of you, but only love can prevent someone from becoming what my brother became."

"He has a girlfriend… Chelsea. They're connected. She gets through to him, even when I can't."

"My brother had Daphne… And perhaps, if she and I had existed in his life at once, we could have saved him. Unfortunately, that didn't happen…" He tightened his grip on Pierce's arm slightly. "My brother murdered me for power… He thought if he killed me, he would control it all. He took _everything_ from me… But the smallest bit of power remained within me. I am but a shell of who I once was… I barely exist in the Underworld, and the only reason we are able to communicate now is because Sage found a way to move me safely… I held on long enough to tell you what you needed to know… But now I feel myself slipping away, fading into nothing."

"How can I help? There must be a way…"

"There is no way, my friend. My brother destroyed me far too thoroughly… It is time for me to give you the only thing I have left."

"Elgan… No. There's got to be another way."

"There is not, and I accepted that long ago. You will need this power, Pierce… You must not blindly trust your brother. Do not make my mistakes… But don't give up on him, either." Elgan gripped him even tighter and Pierce felt energy pouring into him. The power was weak at first, but as it connected into his own energy, it grew impressively quick.

Elgan looked at him from the water, his eyes peaceful but still sad. "Good luck," he said softly. Then, as the last of the light he cast within the water floated up toward Pierce and vanished, so did his image. Pierce knew that Elgan no longer existed in any realm.

He became unexpectedly overwhelmed. Tears filled his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. "History won't repeat," he said firmly. "I'll save him… I'll save my brother."

 _ **TRENT**_

With three more people missing, everyone was freaking out a bit. To prevent Kimberly from running off after her son, or any of the other Rangers from trying to go rogue on their own rescue missions, Kira had volunteered to have the Dino Thunder team keep an eye on things as Sage prepared to set her plan in motion. No one knew what Sage was plotting, but seeing as how she'd made Zeke the official leader of the Legacy team for the time being and had asked Troy to pick up all of her Shaman duties around Angel Grove, Trent figured it was going to take some time. Meanwhile, Kira was assigning everyone tasks to try and keep them out of danger as much as possible. Dino Thunder was responding to any hints of unusual activity which might indicate trouble was coming. Denni, Marco, and Edmund had decided to see what they could do together, and since Denni tended to stay close to her father when she wasn't disappearing on them, that meant the three kids were with them now.

"Do you guys feel that?" Denni asked suddenly.

"Feel what?" Conner asked.

"Yes," Marco and Edmund said at the same time.

"Someone's coming," Denni said. She looked toward the trees.

Suddenly, three people emerged. "Jared…" Kira said, motioning toward Justin's son.

"Okay… So he's on our side, right?" Trent asked. "Who are the other two?"

"Oh, look… Someone to play with," Katherine said as she appeared. "Kids… meet Dino Thunder, my pathetic ex-husband's attempt to become a Power Ranger _again_ because he was having some sort of early mid-life crisis or something… Hi, Guys! How have you been?"

"So which one do we kill first?" The dark-haired girl with Jared asked.

"There'll be time for that in a bit, Callie," Katherine said. "Jared, Sharon, stay close… And all of you, watch yourselves. They have powers that go beyond just being Power Rangers."

The girl she'd called Sharon looked nervous. Still, she moved in front of Jared protectively. _There's no way that kid's evil,_ Trent thought. _We need to help her._

"It's just Kat," Kira said softly. "We can take her. Just stay together and brace yourselves…"

"They're like us," Denni said.

"What?" Conner asked. "What do you mean, Denni?"

"They have the same energy… The Flames…" Marco said before she could reply.

"We all come from the same place," Edmund agreed.

"So there are five of these kids running around?" Ethan asked.

"No… not five," Denni said. "The little one is one of us, too."

"Jared?" Kira asked, her eyes going wide. "Of _course…_ Well, that would explain where he came from, anyway…"

"Okay, we need a plan," Trent said. "They're gathering energy over there." He pointed toward Katherine and the kids. It was obvious Katherine and Callie, at least, were preparing for a fight.

"How's this? Morph, aim for the bitch, and try not to hurt the kids?" Kira suggested.

"I like that plan," Conner agreed.

"I feel a little weird attacking Mrs. Oliver," Ethan admitted.

"Ethan, _look_ at her," Kira said. "That's _not_ the woman we used to know. She's got blue skin and blood red eyes, for shit's sake."

"Okay. Valid point."

"Dino Thunder, power up! Ha!" Conner said. Everyone automatically assumed the proper stance. "Tyranno Power, Red Ranger!"

"Tricera Power, Blue Ranger!" Ethan added.

"Ptera Power, Yellow Ranger!" Kira cried.

"White Ranger, Dino Power!" Trent chimed in.

"Dino Rangers!" The team finished in unison. They stood together, morphed, when an army of golden soldiers suddenly appeared behind Katherine, Callie, Sharon, and Jared. They marched toward Dino Thunder and Denni, Marco, and Edmund. "Okay… We _might_ need a new plan," Kira admitted.

Conner looked at her and they seemed to communicate without speaking. Dino Thunder still worked well as a team even after all this time, and Conner and Kira had always understood what the other was thinking in battle. Kira headed left, while Conner began speeding around the army, trying to trap them in an enclosed space. Trent took the soldiers on the right after Kira nodded in his direction. Ethan went straight down the middle. Since he had skin that was basically impossible to penetrate, it was safer for him to do that than any of the others.

Denni took the lead automatically with Marco and Edmund, keeping them close to her. She slipped in and out of the shadows, sneaking up behind soldiers like she'd been doing this her entire life. She was clearly trying to make her way toward Katherine, but because she was protecting the two other kids, she couldn't use the shadows to move too far ahead.

Jared initially seemed to be helping Katherine and the others. He was armed with a thick electrical wire of some sort that he used to create a barrier around them, but as soon as there was an opening, he set up the wire to trip Katherine. She fell over it pretty quickly and Jared immediately ran toward Kira.

"Stay behind me, Kid," Kira told him. "Everything's going to be okay."

Callie was glowing with fire. It seemed to burst from her very being, and there was no denying how powerful the girl was. Ethan was heading toward her, so Trent focused on Sharon. She panicked as he got close and suddenly, Trent flew through the air.

"Oh! Oh, no, I… I didn't mean to do that…" Sharon mumbled. She waved her hands frantically, which made Ethan and Conner both join Trent in the air. That was impressive since Conner had still been running in circles. He froze in the air now, slamming hard into the energy that had burst from Sharon and lifted them to begin with.

"Seriously?" Kira asked. She ran toward Sharon, knocking her onto her back. Trent, Ethan, and Conner fell to the ground in unison. Their morphs failed as they hit the ground.

"Ouch…" Ethan mumbled.

"Shut up. At least your skin's tougher than ours," Conner pointed out. "I'm going to be bruised for a month."

"Guys… They're coming back," Trent pointed out as more golden soldiers appeared.

"We're so screwed…" Ethan mumbled.

"Not yet," Kira said. "Ethan, stay close to Jared. You don't need your morph to protect yourself from harm, so you can cover him if it comes down to it. Conner, speed through the lines of soldiers instead of trying to trap them in a circle… See if you can get close to Kat… Trent, cover him. No matter what happens, watch his back, and swoop in as needed… Morph again as soon as you guys are recovered enough. And I'm going to try and get to the other two kids… See if we can get them to come with us… If they're the children of Rangers, they need to be rescued. They probably don't understand what they're doing."

"That Callie chick seems to understand pretty well," Conner argued.

"We still have to try," Kira said firmly. "Ready? Go!"

Everyone set to work on their official tasks. Trent noticed Ethan moving swiftly to get Jared out of harm's way. Marco was summoning plants and vines like it was nothing, and they attacked the soldiers who tried to get too close to him or the others. Edmund was swinging his sword with precision Trent had never seen in someone so young, parting the sea of soldiers with his skill. Denni ended up face-to-face with Callie. Trent was tempted to watch them because he could tell whatever came next would be impressive, but he knew he needed to keep an eye on Conner.

As Conner tried to make his way through the soldiers, one managed to knock him down despite his speed. He was stunned for a moment, a sitting duck. That was when Trent noticed Katherine teleport behind Conner and lift up a sword.

He didn't stop to think… There wasn't time for that. He heard Denni scream, "Dad, watch out!" Trent was already in motion. He jumped between Katherine and Conner just in time for the sword to come down and go straight through his chest.

 _ **KIRA**_

For a split second, everything seemed to stop. "Trent!" Conner screamed as he seemed to realize what had just happened. Trent fell to the ground beside him.

Katherine stood with her sword dangerously close to Conner. Kira let out the strongest Ptera Scream she'd ever unleashed. Everyone was knocked down. The golden soldiers cracked and shattered into pieces, littering the ground around them.

Kira ran toward Trent, not caring about anything in that moment except reaching him. She knelt beside him, desperately willing him to be okay. "Trent…" She said softly.

Trent blinked at her, his eyes barely focused. "Take care of your daughter," Trent said softly to Conner. Then, he looked back at Kira. "I'm sorry… I… had to…" He whispered. He closed his eyes. They didn't open again. There was too much blood and his chest was too still. Kira felt tears in her eyes as she pulled Trent into her arms and began rocking him.

"Please…" She whispered. "Please, no…"

Conner stared at Trent, biting his lip to fight back tears. Ethan joined them. He was openly crying. He held Jared against his body, shielding the young boy's eyes from the horrible sight in front of them.

The Dino Thunder team needed a moment to grieve… But that wasn't how battles worked. Callie and Katherine began getting back on their feet. Callie helped Sharon stand back up. Sharon watched Kira with horror in her eyes.

"Sharon… Come on. We have to finish this," Callie said firmly. "Grab Jared."

"He's… He's dead," Sharon said softly. "And… They're hurting… They loved him…"

"Sharon… Forget it. Just stay behind me," Callie said.

"Handle her," Katherine said. "I've got the boy." Before anyone could stop her, Katherine teleported in front of Ethan and grabbed Jared. He let out a cry of protest before they both vanished.

"Damnit!" Conner cursed.

Callie looked like she might attack, but Denni moved between the Dino Thunder team and the two remaining girls. "Screw it," Callie mumbled. She grabbed Sharon's hand and both girls vanished.

"Dad…" Denni said.

Conner pulled Denni closer to him, hugging her as he finally failed to stop his tears from falling. "Take the boys and go get help," he said softly.

"I'm not leaving you," Denni said firmly.

"Kira… We have to go," Conner said gently.

"No," Kira replied.

"They could come back with reinforcements, Kira… Please."

"No! I'm _not_ leaving him!" She clung to Trent tighter.

Conner sighed. "I'll go," Ethan said softly. "I'll take the boys and call Dustin."

"Tell him to bring Jayden, too," Conner said.

"Come on," Ethan said to Edmund and Marco.

Edmund had lowered his head. "I'm sorry for your loss, Lady Kira," he said gently. Marco remained silent, looking lost. Ethan took them and walked away. Kira barely registered any of this.

"Kira…" Conner said gently. He finally sighed again before kneeling beside her. He removed his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. Kira hadn't realized until then how badly she was trembling.

She wasn't sure how long she stayed like that, with Trent in her arms, Conner by her side, and Denni standing over them protectively, ready to face any trouble that should arrive. Finally, she heard a familiar voice say sadly, "Oh, Kira…" She knew it was Jayden.

"Honey… I'm so sorry…" Dustin said, kneeling on the side of her that Conner hadn't claimed.

"Let me take him, Kira," Jayden said.

Kira suddenly felt panic consume her. "No!" She said. "No one touches him!" She clung to Trent tighter, determined to protect him.

"Kira… He's gone," Dustin said. "I know how much that hurts, but-"

"No… No, he _needs_ me… I can't leave him…"

"She's in shock," Jayden said.

"Kira, please… Let us help," Dustin said desperately.

She stopped responding to him. She couldn't let Trent go. If she did, it would become real, and she couldn't face that this was reality.

Suddenly, she felt someone else join them. "Merrick?" Denni asked in confusion.

That didn't make any sense. Kira shook her head. _None_ of this made any sense.

"Kira." Merrick said gently.

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She couldn't explain what she felt in that moment, but she knew Merrick understood. The man had lost his entire team. _Twice_. Merrick knelt beside her. "It's okay, Kira. You can let him go now."

"No… I… I can't leave him…" Kira insisted.

"We won't leave him, Kira," Merrick promised. "I'll carry him somewhere safe."

"Merrick…" Her voice cracked with emotion.

"I know," he promised her. "Let him go, Kira. I'll keep him safe."

Somehow, Kira forced herself to release Trent. Then, she began crying harder. She was fairly certain she'd never be able to stop. Merrick gently stroked her hair twice before he took Trent into his arms and stood.

Too broken to do much more than cry, Kira didn't move. "I've got her," Conner said softly. He scooped her up into his arms like she was a little girl. Kira didn't have the strength to protest.

She didn't really process much as Conner used his powers to speed away with her in his arms. Ethan met them outside of a house. She only registered where they were when the door opened and someone stood on the other side.

"Kira?" Tommy asked in alarm. "Are you hurt? Guys, what happened?"

"I screwed up, Doc O…" Kira whispered, using her old name for him instead of calling him Tommy like she'd been doing ever since she'd snapped at him. In that moment, she didn't care how mad she'd been at him. She couldn't hold on to that rage anymore. It didn't matter now. Nothing did, because nothing made sense at the moment.

"What? What's going on?" He asked. "Kira, please… _Someone_ … Tell me what happened."

No one spoke for a moment, so Conner finally said, "We lost Trent."

Tommy's face showed grief instantly, but to Kira's surprise, he quickly recovered. "Give her to me," he said to Conner gently.

Conner allowed Tommy to take Kira into his arms. "You didn't screw up, Kira," Tommy said soothingly. "Whatever happened, it isn't your fault."

Kira was too exhausted to argue. She simply rested her head on his shoulder and allowed herself to cry as he carried her up to her room. He sat her on the bed. Kira didn't move, so he took off her shoes gently and proceeded to tuck her into bed. Tommy sat down in a chair by her bed and held her hand. He didn't leave her side as she cried herself to sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _I'm still not over Trent. That hurt to write, both because I happen to love Trent and because writing broken Kira breaks my heart... Seriously, the only death I've written in this series so far that hurt worse than this was Zack's, which actually made me cry like a baby. Let's just take a moment here to process this one..._

 _Alright. Deep breaths... On with the story._

 _ **KIRA**_

For just a moment, she forgot. Kira woke up confused as to why Tommy was holding her hand and looking like he hadn't slept. Then, it hit her like a bus. Trent was dead.

"You stayed..." Kira said softly. It hurt a bit to talk. Her throat was probably raw from crying.

"You needed me," Tommy replied gently.

She managed to offer him a sad smile as she sat up. "Thanks... Doc O."

"Anytime, Kira." He squeezed her hand before finally releasing it.

"Where's Dustin? This is his room, too..."

"He crashed in my room. He knocked on the door late last night to check on you and I told him to feel free."

"And the boys?" She tried not to think about the fact that one of "the boys" was no longer part of the equation.

"They're still here... Also, Denni and Merrick came by after you fell asleep... And Hayley's here, too."

Kira nodded. Then, she paused. "Denni..." She said. "Of _course_."

"What _about_ Denni?" Tommy asked.

"Before he..." She sighed. "He took an attack meant for Conner, and before he... Trent told Conner to take care of his daughter... And he told me he had to do what he did... I get it now."

"Oh, Trent..." Tommy said, catching on.

"He lost his parents... He didn't want Denni to go through the same thing he did," Kira said, shaking her head. "That sweet, thoughtful, noble _asshole_..."

Tommy sighed. "He was always a good kid... Even when the bad guys were using him, he wanted to do the right thing."

The smell of food surprisingly made her stomach growl. There was a knock on the door. Kira stood up, smoothing out her clothes and knowing she must look like a train wreck. She opened the door to reveal Hayley, whose eyes were red from crying. Hayley still managed to greet Kira with a warm smile.

"Hey, Sweetie..." She said, opening her arms to pull Kira into a tight hug. "How are you holding up?"

"Pretty good, considering... I mean, I'm _halfway_ functional," Kira replied.

"What about _you_ , Tommy?"

"I'm not going to lie... This one _really_ hurts... But we can't let Trent's sacrifice be in vain... So I'm going to be here for the rest of the team," Tommy replied. "He would want us to keep fighting."

Suddenly, there was a noticeable shift in the energy of the house. "What was _that?"_ Kira asked.

Troy appeared in the doorway. "I lifted Mom's spell," he explained. "I actually only came by to see if you guys needed anything, but Conner told me how Uncle Tommy handled the situation, and I just heard what he said.." He turned to Tommy. "Mom left me in charge of deciding when to take you off of house arrest, and all of that told me that you're ready."

Kira managed to smile. "Looks like Doc O is _finally_ back," she said.

"I'm _so_ sorry for everything I said to you, Kira," Tommy said. "You're an amazing leader... Much better than me."

"Everyone's allowed to have a nervous breakdown once in a while," Kira said. "Just don't morph into an asshole again and we're good." She paused. "I guess I had _my_ nervous breakdown last night."

"I can help you process it if you need me to," Troy offered.

Kira smiled at him kindly. "I appreciate that, Troy... But I'm okay. I'm hurting. A _lot._ And I'm furious... But I know we need to keep fighting, and I know everyone's counting on me. If it gets to be too much, I'll lean on Andros, and on Jayden and Dustin... But I won't let what that bitch did break me. Trent wouldn't want that."

"You are incredibly strong, Kira," Merrick said from the doorway. "I deeply respect that about you."

"Thanks, Merrick," Kira said. "And thank you for your help last night..."

He nodded. "Of course... I brought him to the Command Center. He is safe there."

She bit her lip as tears tried to ambush her. Kira won. "I appreciate everything you did. I... I guess I'll plan the funeral..."

" _We'll_ plan the funeral," Hayley said firmly. "Together."

Kira nodded. "Okay," she said.

"Okay, Boys... Out," Hayley said. "I'm going to help Kira get ready for breakfast."

The males in the room left obediently. Hayley sat beside Kira and began brushing her hair for her. She politely didn't stare at Kira's shirt, which was stained red with Trent's blood. Kira realized she still had dried blood on her arms from holding him.

"Come on," Hayley said gently. "You need to shower." She guided Kira to the nearest bathroom and helped her peel off the shirt that was stuck to her flesh. Hayley stayed as Kira got into the shower. She began to wash the dirt and blood from her flesh and her hair. As the water in the bathtub began to become tinged pink, Kira began to cry. She allowed the water to wash away her tears as it also took away the last bits of Trent's blood.

By the time she emerged, Kira felt slightly better. Hayley wrapped her in a fluffy bathrobe and guided her back to her room. Kira stripped the sheets from her bed, knowing they were destroyed, and Hayley automatically made her bed for her with clean linens as Kira got dressed. By the time she was done getting dressed and brushing her hair again, Kira looked more like herself.

"Come on, Sweetheart," Hayley said. "Jayden's been cooking breakfast all morning."

"Great. I'm starving," Kira replied with the strongest smile she could manage. She followed Hayley downstairs and was greeted by everyone else. Seeing how much food Jayden had prepared, she laughed and said, "Jeez, Jayden, maybe you should change your name to Kimberly! Thanks for cooking." She began preparing a plate for herself. After a moment, she realized everyone was staring at her. "What?" She finally asked.

"Are you okay, Kira?" Jayden asked.

"Nope. But life goes on and so does the battle. If you guys expected me to wallow in grief and stop functioning long-term, you don't know me at all."

Dustin walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Kira smiled, feeling grounded. "I'm sorry I was a hot mess last night. Thanks for trying so hard to help," she said.

"You did it for me," he reminded her. He kissed the top of her head. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Dus... Now, breakfast..."

They all sat together eating, united by grief and the determination to keep fighting. Kira relaxed as opportunities to make sarcastic comments presented themselves. She was still heartbroken by Trent's loss, but she wasn't alone, and she knew she had to laugh or she'd cry. She clung to her Ranger family and knew she would find the strength to get through this.

 _ **TAYLOR**_

News had made its way through the Power Ranger Phone Tree that Trent had been killed by Katherine. Andros had handled notifying everyone, allowing Kira time to process her grief. No one was handling the news very well. Dino Thunder was one of the only teams who hadn't lost a single member in the last big battle. It was hard to accept that Trent was gone.

Josh still hadn't returned to school. Billy had asked Taylor to respect the fact that Josh needed space, but he couldn't stand not seeing him when he knew he was in pain. He knocked on the door now and was greeted by Kimberly. She had Billie in her arms, and Josh suspected she was refusing to let go of the baby she still knew was safe while her first born was missing.

"Hi Taylor," she said kindly.

"Hey, Kimberly," he replied politely. "How are you holding up?"

"Not well," Kimberly admitted, "but I'm trying. This little one needs me, and Kenny needs me to be strong for him, too."

Taylor nodded. "Listen, Kim..."

"You want to see Josh," she guessed.

"Yeah... Is it possible? Just for a few minutes?"

"Honestly, nothing else seems to be helping. He's retreated so deep into his own head... We haven't even told him about Kenny and the others, let alone about poor Trent..." She sighed. "I think it might do him some good to see you, sweetheart. Go on up."

"Thanks, Kimberly," he said gratefully. He raced up to Josh's room and knocked on the door. There was no answer, so Taylor opened it and stepped inside before closing it.

Josh was lying on his bed. Tears streamed down his cheeks at the sight of Taylor, but he said nothing.

"Josh..." Taylor said gently. He sighed before getting into the bed behind him. He wrapped his arms around him and began sending soothing energy toward him.

"I'm sorry..." Josh whispered.

"Shhh... You have _nothing_ to apologize for," Taylor said. "The _vizu_ made you attack everyone."

"No... I'm sorry to _you,"_ Josh whispered. "I pushed you away because I was so obsessed with finding out what happened to my mom... Even after you begged me not to... I hurt you... And not because of a _vizu."_

"It's okay," Taylor said quickly. "You were stressed. I get it. It's fine-"

"Taylor, _stop. Please_... Stop making excuses for me. There is _no_ excuse for the way I've been treating you."

"I shouldn't have been so clingy. You just needed time-"

"Don't blame yourself for my actions. I was wrong, Taylor. I'm sorry. I... I love you."

Taylor melted and found himself holding Josh tighter. He rested his chin in the spot between Josh's neck and shoulders. "I love you, too," he said. "And I forgive you, okay? As long as you don't do it again."

"I won't," Josh promised. "I missed you... And with everything going on in my head, the only thing that made sense is how much I needed to see you... To apologize and fix this."

Taylor wanted to just live in that moment. He had Josh back. Everything would be alright... Except it _wasn't_ , and as much as he didn't want to risk hurting him, he knew Josh needed to know the truth.

"Josh... Some stuff happened while you were locked in this room..." Taylor said gently.

Josh sighed. He rolled over to face Taylor. "It's okay... Tell me," he said.

"Zell took a few hostages... Your team got attacked, so they called for help. Noah was there, since you couldn't be... Anyway, the Ranger Guard and Stone Warriors showed up... It's a long story, but all you need to know is that they got Lachlan, and Andie..." He hesitated.

"Oh, no... Zordon must be freaking out."

"Kind of... But, Josh, um... Kat was there... And..."

"Did she kill someone?" Josh asked in horror.

"Not then, but yeah, actually... Last night."

"What? Who?" He looked terrified.

"It was Trent... And no one's really dealing with that..."

"How's Kira? And Tommy?"

"I'm not sure yet. They're still at home... Kira apparently went all Ptera Scream on them, though, and the bad guys ended up running." He paused. "Josh... Before that... Kat kidnapped someone."

Josh braced himself. "You're hesitating... You're afraid this will upset me... It was someone from my team, _wasn't_ it?"

"She took Kenny, Josh. I'm sorry."

Josh paled significantly. For a second, Taylor was worried he might faint, so he sent him some energy. "Kenny... She... She took my brother..."

Josh didn't often call Kenny that. He was his step-brother and his Godbrother, and Josh was too technical not to use the correct terms...That told Taylor how scared he actually was.

"Yeah... But Sage is on it," Taylor replied quickly. "She sort of left Zeke in charge of the team so she can focus on the rescue mission."

 _"Zeke?"_ Josh asked in surprise. Then, he nodded. "Zeke is the Red Ranger. It makes sense."

"Are you okay, Josh?" Taylor asked gently.

To his surprise, Josh kissed him softly. Taylor's heart nearly exploded at the sensation of Josh's shy, sweet kisses. He realized how scared he had been that he'd never feel them again. "I am _now_ ," Josh said in a whisper before he pulled away. "I want to freak out and shut down again, but Kenny needs me... I wasn't there when he needed me before. Noah's a great guy, but he's not actually part of my team. _I'm_ the son of Billy Cranston. _I'm_ the Mighty Morphin Legacy Ranger. My team needs _me..._ And I refuse to let them down again."

"I'm proud of you," Taylor said.

Josh actually smiled at him. "Thanks... So, what is the plan?"

"Kira had all of us on assignments, mostly to keep us from doing something stupid like running after the hostages blind. I think Andros is in charge right now, and he's very no-nonsense. I'm sure he'll have us continue doing things Kira's way until she comes back."

"She won't leave him in charge for long. Kira's _really_ tough. She will face this and keep fighting," Josh said confidently. "She may have come to Angel Grove just to fight the Golden Monkey, but look at everything she's done for us since."

Taylor knew Josh was right. "When's the last time you ate, anyway?" He asked suddenly.

"I'm not sure... It's been a blur..."

"Come on... I think Kimberly's been cooking ever since Kenny was taken. I skipped breakfast to come straight here, so let's eat." He was relieved when Josh did not attempt to object. Instead, he slipped his hand into Taylor's and let Taylor lead him downstairs.

 _ **LABY**_

He was as ready as he'd ever be. Laby took a deep breath before putting on his cockiest smile and walking straight through the baby labyrinth the Warlock had created. He proceeded to ring the doorbell.

The door opened slowly and Laby already knew who was behind it. Felina stared at him in surprise. "Laby?" She asked with wide eyes.

"Sorry I'm late to the party," he said casually. "It seems my invitation got lost in the mail." He watched her stare at him for a few more seconds before he grinned. "Hey, Felina... It's good to see you." He pulled her into a genuine hug.

Felina returned the hug after a moment. "Laby, we have all been terribly worried for you, but... What in all of Eltar are you doing _here?"_

"Like I said, I've come to join the party. It was fun drinking New Orleans dry for the last few years, but I'm _dying_ to know what kind of liquor Zell keeps in his basement."

"You don't drink anything but soda," Felina pointed out.

He laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Oh, Felina! That was thirty years ago. A lot can change in three decades."

"I know what happened destroyed you, Laby, but..." She sighed. "Before you come in, there is something you must know."

"It's okay, Felina," he said. "I know Jay's back. That's sort of what alerted me to all of this." It was a believable cover story. He knew even she wouldn't question it.

"Felina... Who is at the door?" The Alchemist asked.

Laby grinned, making his way into the house and manifesting popcorn and horror movies from the 1980s in his hands. "It's not a party without cheesy movies," he said practically. "And it seems like this is the cool place for Rebels to be."

The Warlock appeared behind the Alchemist. Both watched him in confusion. "By the way, Warlock... You call _this_ a labyrinth?" Laby asked with a laugh. "Not bad for an amateur, I guess, but maybe you should stick to magic you're better at and leave labyrinths to the pros."

Neither answered him as someone else said in surprise, "Laby?" Suddenly, the girl ran toward him, flinging her arms around him.

"Zizi? Jesus Christ, you're all grown up, Kid!" Laby said, recognizing her after a moment.

"I got worried when I didn't see you at the meeting."

"Oh, I was there... I shapeshift, remember? I wouldn't miss Vitti's return for the world."

Suddenly, amusement appeared on Felina's face. "The attractive young woman in the stunning red dress and heels... Of _course,"_ she said. "You have not changed _that_ much, Laby."

"What can I say? I look _good_ as a woman." He grinned at her.

Bax appeared and offered up a cocky smile. "Hey, Laby. How's tricks?" He asked casually.

"Oh, you know... Same mischief, different day," Laby replied just as casually. He'd never liked the little bastard, but he knew how to play nice when necessary.

Suddenly, he felt Zell. He took a deep breath and prepared himself to face the monster he wanted to destroy more than any other. "Labyrinth! Welcome, my boy!" Zell proclaimed cheerfully.

"Hey, Zell," Laby replied, keeping his tone steady and carefree. He faced him, looking into his eyes and holding his gaze until Zell looked away. Laby didn't know if he could affect Zell's mind with his eyes the way he could with other people, but it seemed Zell did not want to test the theory.

Zell did not demand Laby use his title. That was probably because Laby had never really bothered to before. Zell knew Laby wasn't one for being formal, and it would be a waste of his energy to try to force the issue.

"I had hoped we could be reunited, my boy. How have you been?" Zell asked.

"Drunk," Laby admitted. Confessing to such vulnerability was good. It might make Zell underestimate him. He shrugged. "It was a rough few decades... But now the Rebels are getting the band back together and I can't miss the party of the millennia, right?"

"And... You have chosen to join my Alliance?" Zell asked cautiously.

"I don't know yet... But I have chosen to at least hear your plans. I'm sick of surviving slaughters, and I know this side is where the power is... Besides, what the hell do I have to lose anymore, right?" He laughed. "So, who's watching movies with me? You got a TV in this place, Zell?"

Zell shook his head, but he was smiling fondly. "Ah, Labyrinth... You are a breath of fresh air in this place."

"So, that's a _no,_ right? No big. I'll create a labyrinth with a TV and a DVD player." He grinned at Felina. "What do ya say, Felina? Wanna watch _Freddy_ slaughter a bunch of teenagers with me?"

Felina shook her head. "No, my dear," Zell said. "Go ahead. I think it will be good for you to catch up with your old friend."

Felina looked stunned. "Of course," she said.

"Great! Come on," Laby said. "I'll create my own bedroom and we can watch it in there." He led her away.

Creating his own labyrinth within the Warlock's was not the easiest magic, but it was simple enough for Laby. Only once he was certain it was sealed did he pop the first DVD into the player.

"Laby... What the hell are you up to?" Felina asked.

He finally dropped the act. "I'm here to help, Felina."

"You came for Daphne."

"Yes... But I also came for _you."_

"I do not require your help, Laby."

"Felina... You are _massively_ in over your head. He looks like he's winning right now, but he's making stupid mistakes. I know you know that. You're _not_ a stupid woman, Felina... You just make bad choices when it comes to him."

"Laby..." Felina sighed, surprising him. "I never should have brought her here."

"Do you regret it?"

"Yes... His madness has simply increased, and he is so obsessed with winning her affection..." She paused. "Why were you honest with me? You have him fooled. I'll only betray your intentions to him."

"No, you won't. Because on some level, you _want_ me to do it. You want Andie out of here... And you want someone to help you."

"I told you, I do not need help."

"And I told _you_ , a long time ago, that you would always have one friend on Eltar. We're on Earth now, but that is still true. I'll be here if you let me, Felina. I promise."

"Be quiet already. You are distracting me from the bloodshed." She motioned toward the movie.

Laby smiled to himself, knowing he'd gotten through to her, even if only slightly. He passed her some popcorn as he settled in beside her, relaxing as they watched one of his all-time favorite films. He was especially amused as she criticized how stupid all of the characters were behaving.

"You know, Felina... I'd forgotten how funny you can be when you unleash your savage, snarky side," he said pleasantly when the movie ended. "Are you up for another?"

Felina looked at him. She seemed torn. Finally, she replied, "I suppose watching one more film will not do any harm."

Laby grinned. " _That's_ the spirit!" He eagerly popped _New Nightmare_ into the DVD player. "This one is my absolute favorite horror film _ever."_

Felina paid close attention to the film. Laby continued to laugh at her colorful commentary. It was even more entertaining with her company. He'd had to watch that one alone because it was released in the early 1990s. Isolated or not, Laby had refused to miss out on the newest _Freddy_ movie.

When the film ended, Felina prepared to leave Laby's little sanctuary. Just before he unlocked it, Laby said, "Hey, Felina?"

She turned to face him. "Yes?" She asked.

"He _knew."_

"What are you talking about?"

"Back in 1989... When he sent Deevs back in time to us... He knew what would become of the Chapter." He paused. "He knew Jay would kill everyone... And he didn't warn us. He knew they'd all die... Including Am..." He took a deep breath and tried again. "Amareese."

Felina, who was already quite a pale woman, paled more. "No... He could not have... He..." She shook her head.

"He _knew_ , Felina. There is no way he wouldn't have looked into what happened to us before he enlisted our help. Remember, he has back-up plans for his back-up plans' back-up plans."

She looked at him, the grief for their fallen friend clear in her eyes. "He... He _must_ have had his reasons. Everything he does has a purpose. He must have known that preserving the time line was more important."

"Sure, that's _one_ theory... But if keeping that outcome was so important... Why would he have resurrected Jay?"

Felina was silent. He could tell he had gotten through to her. "Food for thought," he said casually. He unlocked the labyrinth. Felina walked away without another word.

 _ **KENNY**_

He was growing weaker by the minute. He considered giving in and eating something, but he was too stressed out. He knew he wouldn't hold it down. Exhaustion took control and he blacked out. His mind immediately delivered a nightmare. He was reliving the night his father had tried to kill him and his mother. Merkhet had turned him into a minotaur named Achilles, and if Billy hadn't shown up and decapitated him, Kenny and his mother would probably both be dead. To make it even scarier, his father's attack had left Kenny paralyzed, and the only reason he'd recovered was that Angie had used her magic to heal his spine.

He woke up trembling as someone covered him gently. At first, Kenny forgot where he was. "Mom..." He mumbled.

The Australian accent snapped him out of it. "It's alright now, Kenny... It was just a bad dream," Katherine said soothingly.

Kenny jumped away from her. "Don't be frightened," she said. "You're safe now."

" _Safe?_ I'm being held hostage in a house full of evil psychopaths," Kenny replied.

"I won't let anyone hurt you, sweetheart." Katherine stroked his hair like she had done when he was a little boy. It was not uncommon for Kenny to spend the night in Katie's room growing up, and even then, he'd been prone to nightmares. Kat had always been a comforting presence when he woke up sobbing in Katie's arms.

 _Katie..._ He thought. His heart hurt. Katie might have had her flaws, but she'd always protected her "nerds." Kenny had been her best friend. Zell's influence had brought out the worst in Katie, ultimately making her betray them all and even try to kill Kenny, but he still missed the girl she'd been before.

He didn't realize he had tears in his eyes until Katherine gently wiped them away with a tissue. "Kat..." He began.

"It's alright, sweetheart. I'm here," she told him. "You need food... Please come eat something."

"I... I can't."

She sighed. "I'll fix you, Kenny... Make it so I can take care of you."

"Just let me go home... My mom needs me."

She smiled. "You are _such_ a loyal son... Katie never loved me like you did... You were always the sweetest little boy... Kimberly doesn't deserve you. That whore took _everything_ that should have been _mine!"_

"Don't talk about her like that!"

Katherine laughed. "Well, now, it's time for me to take back what should have been mine all along... Let's see how Kimmy deals with it when I take her son!"

"I'll _never_ be yours, Kat."

"Oh... But you _will,_ Kenny." She laughed again before flames appeared in the room.

"No!" Kenny said firmly, standing up and moving back quickly. "I won't let you turn me!"

Katherine paused. "No... If I turn you, you'll lose what I like most about you...But if I simply cast my spell... Yes, this will work out nicely!" She seemed to draw energy from the flames as Kenny raced toward the door. It wouldn't open.

Katherine grabbed him by his temples and he felt a strange sensation come over him. His head hurt. Images began flashing through his mind... His father, hitting his mother. His mother, trying to smile through her pain and cover it up. He had to protect her, no matter what. He remembered his father hitting him, and his mother finally finding out. She'd broken his father's nose then and left him to keep Kenny safe. He listened to the soothing cadence of her words, telling him he was safe now in her Australian accent. He saw her bringing him to stay with her father. Grandpa Zell would keep them both safe until they were strong enough to fight against the Power Rangers and the Chosen who wanted to cause them harm. Kenny had to protect his mother, no matter what.

"Are you feeling alright, sweetheart?" His mother asked.

"Yeah, Mom. I'm fine," he replied.

"Good. Come on downstairs. I'll make us something to eat."

His stomach growled. "Great," he said. "I'm _starving..._ I can't remember the last time I ate." He followed his mother downstairs, feeling better already just knowing they were together.

 _ **CALEB**_

The funeral for his uncle had been very small. His father hadn't wanted to do anything elaborate. They'd held it on the Reservation. The remaining Grants had stood with David and Amos. Zedd and Zordon had insisted on being present as well. Caleb had asked Thorn to come. Because his father wanted to keep things private, he had not invited the Chosen. He knew his father felt like he had to keep up a strong facade for the Chosen, and right now, he just needed to be allowed to grieve. Troy had come to assist with the ritual, and Sage had taken a couple of hours out of her isolation to be there. Her presence seemed to soothe his father.

Now, they were home. His father was still clearly depressed, but he was trying to pull himself together. Dora was focusing all of her energy on rage. She'd been punching anything she could. It reminded Caleb a bit of how Gia had handled losing Emma and Orion. More and more cats showed up by the hour, surrounding the house.

"Seriously, what's with all the cats?" Thorn asked curiously. He'd stayed with Caleb after the funeral had ended.

"They follow Dora," Caleb replied. "They always have, but now that she's upset, it's like every stray in California is making its way to her."

"I'm gonna need to buy more cat food..." Dora mumbled. One of the strays she'd previously adopted jumped into her arms while the others took turns rubbing up against her legs.

"They are a symbol of your mother," Caleb's father said, making them all jump. He hadn't really spoken much since Ares had died.

"My mother... Great. I still have no idea who she is."

"Your mother was an aspect of the Norse Goddess Freya... She is a powerful warrior. The cats protect you because they serve her."

"Did you know that this whole time, Uncle Caius?" Dora asked.

"No... Your father told me after he perished. You must learn to embrace Freya's powers, Dora. They shall protect you. I have a number of books on the Norse. You should look them over." He walked back toward his room.

"He's _so_ not okay," Dora said.

"I know," Caleb agreed. "At best, he's going through the motions. He cleans. He makes sure we're fed but he doesn't eat. I don't think he's sleeping. He checks on both of us to make sure we're doing okay but won't talk about how _he_ is feeling... I'm worried about him."

"I know Sage wanted to use her gifts to help him process his grief, but with Kenny and the others getting kidnapped, she can't do it yet. I could talk to Uncle David and ask him to help," Thorn offered.

"I'd appreciate that," Caleb said.

"Caius will be okay, Caleb," Thorn promised. He kissed his forehead. Caleb relaxed slightly. Everything would be okay eventually. He _had_ to believe that.

 _ **ANDIE**_

She still felt like her heart was broken. As both Andie and Daphne felt guilty and depressed, Isobel took control. "What has occurred is horrific, to be certain, but this is _war._ In war, innocents suffer, however, we _must_ continue to be strong, Ladies," she said firmly. "The only way to protect the innocent is to continue to fight and to survive." She began looking around the room for anything she might be able to use as a weapon. Unfortunately, she found nothing.

"There _must_ be a way..." She began pacing around the room, trying to think of ways to escape. "I could wait until he opens the door and ambush him... No, he would likely know my plan before I could attempt it... My magic is strong, but I do not have the proper tools to craft a powerful enough spell and he would just absorb it as an energy boost if I tried... I would _kill_ for a bow and arrow right now..." She sighed. "Andie, I know you are upset, but please try to get it together. I _need_ you to summon your weapon. It is attached specifically to _you,_ as the part of our soul who is a Power Ranger. I am a skilled archer, but that means nothing without a weapon."

It hadn't occurred to Andie that she should summon her bow. Andie had been too weak at first, and when her team called their weapons, it took a decent amount of energy. Still, their weapons literally came from their souls, and that meant Zell couldn't prevent her from summoning her bow long-term unless he kept her injured.

"I'm an idiot..." Andie mumbled, finding strength in Isobel. "Why didn't _I_ think of that?"

 _You are_ not _an idiot, Andie... You are a traumatized teenager who has been abducted by a monster. It is completely understandable if you are not thinking straight currently,_ Isobel reassured her, stepping back to grant her full control again.

Andie closed her eyes and focused. Her stone was still in her pocket. In theory, she could try to morph, but she suspected the magic on the property would prevent it from working. She held the stone for strength anyway as she called her weapon.

She gasped as she felt the weapon appear in her hands. Andie opened her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay... _Now_ what?" She asked aloud.

 _Don't miss?_ Isobel suggested.

"I'm _you,_ Isobel. I _never_ miss." That was true. Isobel might have been as much of a klutz as Andie and Daphne, but when it came to archery, she could hit a target blindfolded.

She waited for someone to open the door. Thankfully, it was Zell, not Sharon. Andie didn't want to hurt her. She was hidden in the bathroom, and she knocked an arrow before opening the door, pulling it back, and firing it straight into the center of Zell's forehead.

Zell cried out in both surprise and pain. Andie used the opportunity to run past him. She continued to run until she found her chance. She spotted Bax and Zizi. She shot Bax in the chest immediately. He'd made it clear he was immortal during the bizarre family dinner, so she knew it wouldn't kill him, but it would hurt and slow him down. She aimed the bow at Zizi.

"Take me to Kenny and Lachlan and get us _out_ of here," she said, trying to sound as threatening as possible.

Zizi stared at her in surprise. "You know, he said you were _gentle,"_ she said lightly.

" _Daphne_ is gentle... But _I'm. Not. Her."_ She had to remind herself of that.

Zizi nodded. "I'm not afraid of dying," she said. She quickly added, _"Vide piel virit."_

Andie paused, seeing something in Zizi's eyes as she recited what Andie recognized as the loyalty mantra of the Rebellion. _She's on our side,_ she realized in surprise. She quickly guarded the thought in her mind before Zell could pull it out of her head and discover Zizi's betrayal.

"Get us out and I'll spare you," Andie said, still trying to sound scary but nodding slightly to let Zizi know she understood.

Zizi attacked Andie, trying to grab her weapon. Andie sent it away, allowing Zizi to "capture" her. Andie could feel Zell recovering and coming straight for them.

 _"Ajitez feritz monheyn liit. Domez vritax adimaz liambu,"_ Zizi whispered. Andie knew she was speaking Eltarian. What startled her was that she understood her words completely. Daphne seemed to be translating for her. _The boys are down the hall. The fake child will help._

Andie was about to reply when Zizi added in English, "Attack me. _Now."_

She hated the idea of hurting her new ally, but Andie knew it was the only way Zizi could help her without giving herself away. Andie immediately threw Zizi off of her. She summoned her weapon again and aimed it at her, shooting her in the leg where it wouldn't kill her. Then, even though her instinct told her to heal Zizi, she ran down the hall.

Andie found Lachlan easily enough. "We're leaving," she told him. She figured the _fake child_ must be Mora. If Sprocket was right about her, Zizi was correct. She'd help them. Lachlan asked no questions as he followed her.

They didn't find Kenny, but they _did_ find Mora. She cowered at the sight of the weapon. "Please don't hurt me..." Mora said with a whimper.

Andie immediately lowered her bow. "I won't," she promised. Evil or not, Andie couldn't hurt a kid... Even if the kid was supposed to be an adult and had been the one to lure Vida into the trap that got her turned evil. Her fear was obvious, and Andie knew she needed to help her, not hurt her.

"You're Sprocket's friend, right?" Andie asked.

Mora lit up. "Oh, yes! Sprocket's my _best_ friend, other than Cindy Sunshine, of course." She presented the doll before hugging her tightly.

Lachlan looked confused. "Friend or foe?" He asked her.

"It varies," Andie replied. "Mora... We _need_ your help. If you help us, I'll get you to Sprocket. He lives with Greg now."

"I tried to help Kimberly... And he _tortured_ me," Mora whispered.

Andie felt horrible for the girl. She could see in her eyes that things had been bad. "It's okay, Mora. If you help us, we'll protect you," she promised.

Mora took a deep breath, then nodded. "Sprocket trusts you," she told Andie. "So _I'll_ trust you, too."

"Do you know where Kenny is?" Andie asked.

"I saw him with Katherine earlier. Great Zell doesn't let her play with me anymore since I helped Kimberly, so now she's playing with him instead."

That sounded _beyond_ creepy. Andie hoped Kenny was safe. "Let's find him," she said. They accomplished this a few minutes later, with Zell hot on their trail.

"Kenny, come on! We're leaving," she said.

"Where are we going?" Kenny asked. Something seemed off...

"Home," Andie replied.

"We _are_ home."

Andie stared at him. "What did Katherine _do_ to you?" She asked. For a moment, she feared he'd been turned, but she didn't feel the flames on him.

"My mom? Nothing, of course. She'd _never_ hurt me."

"Your... Your _mum?"_ Lachlan repeated.

"Katherine wants a child," Mora explained. "An obedient, loyal one, unlike Katie. It was supposed to be _me,_ but her father took me away..."

"Great, so she's evil but has a psychotic need to mother a child?" Andie asked in disbelief.

"Pretty much," Mora said with a shrug.

"Kenny... We _have_ to leave," Andie said urgently.

"Guys! He's coming!" Jared said as he ran toward them.

"Come on. I'm getting us out of here," Andie said.

"Is that a _real_ bow? Cool! Can you teach me how to shoot one?"

"When we're back home, sure... Assuming your dad is okay with it. Jared, follow Mora. Lachlan, go with them."

"I can't just leave you here, Andie... That man's a bloody _lunatic!"_ Lachlan objected.

"I have to help Kenny. Jared and Mora need someone older to help them, Lach... I'll be okay."

"Right…" Lachlan said reluctantly. "Let's do this, then…"

Suddenly, Lachlan fell unconscious. "Lach!" Andie cried in alarm.

"He's just sleeping," Kenny said. "Grandpa Zell would never harm his son."

Andie refused to think about how strange it was to hear _anyone_ refer to Zell as "Grandpa." Instead, she tried to figure out a way out of this. Her escape plan would have worked, but with Kenny under Katherine's control, it was another story.

Zell appeared before them. "Guys... Run!" Andie told Jared and Mora.

"We can't just leave you here," Jared protested.

"Mora, get him out of here," Andie said firmly. Jared was just a kid... If she could only save one of the hostages, she knew it needed to be him. She turned around and faced Zell, her weapon ready. She felt Mora and Jared flee and knew they'd made it out of the house. At least her actions had saved _someone._

"Daphne..." Zell said in the scariest tone Andie had ever heard him use. "You and I must _talk_." He grabbed her arm and dragged her away. Kenny didn't seem to notice how rough Zell had grabbed her.

When they were alone, Zell struck her hard across the face. "How _dare_ you attack me?" He demanded.

Andie hadn't expected that. It woke Daphne up full-force. She stepped backward, touching her face where he'd hit her. Daphne looked at him through Andie's eyes and he hesitated. "Daphne... I..." He began. Then, he shook his head. "You _made_ me have to do that."

"Zell..." Andie said softly, trying to push Daphne back a bit.

"Why did you do this, Daphne? What did you hope to accomplish?"

"I want our _freedom,_ Zell. None of us belong here."

"Why won't you stop fighting me?" He grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her violently. "You _belong_ to me! You are my _wife!_ How can you continue to defy me?" He was still shaking her. She could feel his hands digging into her flesh. It hurt like hell, but she'd been through worse. He finally released her, flinging her toward the wall. Andie hit it hard. He pinned her there with his body and tried to kiss her.

Andie's instincts kicked in. She stomped on Zell's foot, forcing him to back off a bit. He didn't like that. He wrapped his arms around her throat and panic hit her hard. He'd strangled Daphne more than once the night he killed her. He released her just before she could pass out and slammed her back against the wall harder. Then, he began to beat her. As much as she wanted to fight, he was too strong. Still, she tried in vain to defend herself.

"Zell!" A voice said harshly. "Calm your ass down before you kill that poor girl. You're trying to make her love you again, right? This is _not_ the way."

 _Laby,_ Andie registered. _Laby's here..._

Zell hesitated, but finally released her. "Oh, my _dear_... My _darling_... My _sweet_ Daphne... What have I _done?"_ Zell asked as he looked at her, crumpled and bloody on the floor. "I am so sorry, my dear... I lost my temper. You are only a teenager... I should expect some level of rebellion from you." He shook his head. "Thank you, Labyrinth. Stay with her for a bit, won't you?" Andie felt him leave.

"Andie... Holy shit..." Laby said in horror. "I'm _so_ sorry, honey..." He tried to touch her. Andie automatically recoiled. Laby sighed. "It's okay now, Little Bird... You're safe. I won't let that fucking bastard touch you ever again." He caught her eyes and suddenly, Andie felt calmer as the spirals danced to life.

"Laby..." She whispered.

"I'm here, Andie... And I'm going to get you out of here as soon as I can... But right now, you're too hurt. I'm a lot of things, but sadly, a healer isn't one of them." Laby gently began cleaning up the blood on her face.

"Step aside," the Alchemist said.

"No offense, but she's scared to death," Laby said. "I'm not just handing her off to you."

"The Great Wizard has instructed the Warlock and I to heal the girl. I have a potion to ease her pain," the Alchemist said as the Warlock appeared beside her. "Move aside unless you prefer to leave her suffering."

Laby shifted, staying close. The Alchemist gave Andie a potion. "Drink this," she said. "It will help."

Andie was reluctant, but Laby nodded. She forced herself to accept the drink. It tasted bitter yet sweet, like the Alchemist had added honey to make it easier to drink. As soon as she did, she began feeling better. The pain significantly lessened. The Warlock silently set to work and Andie began to heal.

"What did you do to anger him?" The Alchemist asked.

"I shot him," Andie replied. "With a bow and arrow."

The Alchemist looked surprised but mildly impressed. To Andie's shock, the Warlock actually laughed quietly. "Good for you," he said softly.

Andie stared at him. "Did you just...?" She asked. Laby started laughing, too.

"I am not mute, Andie. I simply speak when I have something to say."

"You called me Andie..."

"Is that not your name? Besides, you _certainly_ are not Daphne. She never would have done that." He went back to healing her in silence.

"You are braver than I expected, Andie," the Alchemist admitted. "I highly recommend you not try that again, however. His wrath is a powerful thing, and Labyrinth may not always be able to protect you from it." She looked at Laby and it was clear she didn't trust his loyalties.

Laby shrugged. "Look, she's Sera's baby sister. Regardless of which side I'm on, I won't just sit back and let him hurt her," he said. "Besides, he claims he wants her to love him again. He'd have regretted killing her."

The Alchemist waved off his words. "Not a single one of us except Felina is truly loyal to him," she said. "We _all_ joined the Alliance with our own motives and he knows this. That is the nature of evil, after all. Just remember which side you stand with when it counts."

Andie felt significantly better physically. Emotionally was another story. The Warlock moved away from her. "Take her to her room," the Alchemist said to Laby. "She must rest to fully recover. The Warlock's magic works best on those who are dark, and she is anything but. The worst of her injuries are gone, however she still has some less critical wounds that shall require time to heal."

"Thank you, Alchemist," Laby said. He waited for the other two Rebels to leave before he scooped Andie up in his arms.

"I can walk, Laby," she said stubbornly.

"Your body is still trembling, Andie. Your legs will give out on you if you try." He carried her toward her room. "I'll get you out of here as soon as I can... I'm tempted to try it now, but then Zell would catch on to me, and I _have_ to get Lachlan out of here, too. Not to mention Kenny."

"Katherine put a spell on him. He thinks he's her son. It's why he refused to leave."

"I can cure madness, but it's hard when it's from a spell... He might not be mad, just confused. I'll see what I can do." He reached her room, but couldn't open the door.

Sharon nervously stuck her head out of her room. "Other than Great Zell and Andie, I'm the only one allowed inside," she said softly. She opened the door with ease. "Can you walk, Andie?"

Andie nodded. "Yes," she said. She looked at Laby. "It's okay. Put me down."

"I'd rather stay with you," Laby said.

"Zell won't allow that," Andie told him. "It's alright, Laby. I trust Sharon." Daphne's instincts kicked in and she kissed his cheek.

Laby nodded and reluctantly released her. She was shaky but managed not to fall as she walked into her room with Sharon. She caught a glimpse of her reflection and saw that her clothes were covered in her blood. A lot of the visible injuries were gone, but she knew bruises had formed where he'd gripped her shoulders. She sighed before awkwardly getting undressed. Sharon was about to politely look away when she saw the bruises and gasped.

"Are you okay?" She asked Andie.

"I'll be fine," Andie replied.

"Did... Did _he_ do that to ya?" Sharon's Irish accent was much more pronounced as she became visibly upset.

"Yes," Andie replied softly.

Sharon gently reached toward one of the bruises. She shook her head. "He's a right scumbag for that... My Da used ta hurt me like that... I'm sorry... " Sharon sighed. "He's no' who he pretends ta be, _is_ he? What we're doin' here... It isna' right..." She was close to tears.

"It's okay, Sharon. He's good at fooling people," Andie replied.

"Last night, Katherine killed someone... A Power Ranger," Sharon said softly.

Andie's chest tightened. "Who?" She forced herself to ask.

"His friends called him Trent."

Andie covered her mouth in horror. "Oh God... Poor Kira... She must be freaking out."

"Is she the lass with the scary scream?"

"That would be her."

"She broke down... I... I felt _awful_ watching her. I know what it is to grieve that deeply... I just wanted to undo it somehow... The wee lad, Jared, had tried to escape to Trent's friends, but Katherine got him back in the confusion. Poor thing... He's a sweet lad, and he's so clever."

"Jared's safe. I sent him away with Mora. They escaped."

Sharon looked both relieved and sad. "He's my brother... But it's better he be away from here, where it's safe."

"Sharon... Do you want to leave this place?"

Sharon hesitated. "I hate the things he's done, Andie... But I have nowhere else to go, and I don't want to return to the institution."

"We could help you, Sharon... Karone was really close to your mom. She'd help you, which means her brother Andros would, too."

"Do ya really think they'd help me? Even after I became part of the Alliance?"

"You didn't know any better. They got you out of a bad situation."

"Felina seems to understand me... I told her that I killed Da... With my powers. I didn't mean to, but he just kept hurtin' me, an'..." She was shaking and her accent got stronger again.

Andie put a comforting hand on Sharon's arm. "I get it," she said. "My dad was awful, too." Suddenly, Daphne's knowledge of Felina's history hit her. _Her father was a monster, too... I wanted to help her. We took her in, but Zell wouldn't let me keep her... He said it was not appropriate for us to raise the poor child. Her adoptive parents were lovely, but it was still hard to let her go,_ Daphne told her.

Andie looked at Sharon. "Felina had a rough upbringing, too. I have my issues with her, but I think she sees something in you she wants to protect... Something that maybe reminds her of herself," she said. After a moment, she said, "When we get out of here, we're taking you with us."

Sharon looked terrified, but she nodded. "Thank you," she whispered.

Andie squeezed Sharon's hand lightly in a silent promise. One way or another, she'd protect that girl until they were safe.

 _ **MORA**_

She was positively petrified, but Mora knew they needed to keep moving. Only once she was certain Zell wasn't coming after them did she sit down for a minute. "Do you need to rest?" Jared asked.

Mora had pulled out her sketchbook. She began to draw a new masterpiece. "Not exactly," she said. "I'm getting us some help."

Jared watched her draw in confusion before a monster sprang to life from the page. "Whoa! Neat!" He cried.

"He's _lovely,"_ Mora decided aloud. "Hello, Friend. Your purpose is to protect us at all costs. Do you understand?"

"Yes," the monster replied.

"Good. Bring us to a safe place where we can hide."

The monster led them deep into the woods. When he stopped moving, she pulled out the device that connected her to Sprocket. "Sprocket... Come in, Sprocket! Do you hear me?" She asked.

"I read you loud and clear, Mora!" Sprocket replied.

"Sprocket, I need help... I escaped with Jared, but Andie and the others are still trapped... Andie said if I helped you guys, you would help me, too."

"Of _course_ we will. Where _are_ you?"

Mora gave him the coordinates her monster supplied her with. "We'll be there soon, Mora," Sprocket promised. "Just stay hidden until we get to you."

A short time later, to Mora's shock, her monster's head rolled toward her feet before she could even process that he'd been attacked. Jared let out a cry of surprise as Mora stared at it in horror. Then, she saw Lady Eleanor, holding her sword.

"That seems a bit harsh..." Mora mumbled. "He was only meant to protect us."

She spotted Sprocket with Greg and, to Mora's great surprise, the entire SPD team. "Sorry," Greg said with an apologetic shrug as he saw her looking at SPD. "My Gram insisted they be here."

"This girl is a wanted criminal, Gregory," Lady Eleanor said firmly. "She _must_ face her punishment, and she belongs in the future anyway."

"Sydney? Are we still friends?" Mora asked nervously.

Syd softened a bit. The rest of her team looked at her in confusion. "I know Mora's a psycho, but... Well... Zell's put the girl through a lot," Syd replied nervously.

"It _must_ be the Flames talking," Sky said. "Sage only fixed her a few days ago, before she ran off to prepare."

"Don't you _dare_ hold that against me, Sky!" Syd protested. "I may not have been myself, but it wasn't my fault, and I know this much... Mora was terrified of Zell, but she was also in the middle of everything. She might be really useful to us."

"SPD does _not_ negotiate with criminals," Sky insisted stubbornly.

"Really? Did you forget how Jack and _I_ joined the team?" Z asked.

"I mean... She's _not_ wrong, Sky," Jack chimed in.

"Sage gave the order to detain Mora until she could be destroyed," Sky said firmly. "She was the one who tricked Tommy into getting abducted. As far as Sage is concerned, the blood of the dead Rangers is on her hands."

Mora shrank at his words, leaning against Jared. " _Destroy?_ " Jared asked. "Mora _saved_ me, guys! Without her, I'd still be trapped."

"Young Man, this is more complicated than you understand," Lady Eleanor said.

"Please don't talk to me like I'm just a dumb little kid. I'm not," Jared said firmly. "Mora helped us. She would have gotten Andie, Lach, and Kenny out, too, but Kenny's under a spell. Andie told Mora to take me and run because Kenny delayed us and Zell showed up."

"Was Kenny _turned?_ " Bridge asked in horror.

"No. Katherine wants a child," Mora said softly. "A _loyal_ one. So she chose Kenny. She messed with his memories, and he thinks she's his mother."

"Why should we trust _anything_ you say?" Sky asked.

"She's not lying about Katherine," Syd said. "The woman has lost her marbles... And what she's pulling with Kenny, she tried to pull with Mora. She had the kid calling her 'mom.'"

"I appreciate that she's not lying about Katherine, but we still need to follow orders. Sage is right. Mora's responsible for what happened during the big battle," Jack said. "Without her, Tommy never would have been kidnapped."

"Actually, Tommy gets kidnapped all the time," Bridge pointed out quietly. "They would have found a way with or without her."

"Please... I'll tell you guys _everything_ if you will just protect me from him," Mora whispered. "He... He _frightens_ me."

"As well he should," Lady Eleanor said harshly. "This is what you get for siding with him to begin with."

Mora felt tears in her eyes. Sprocket looked at her apologetically. "Lady Eleanor, please don't hurt her... I promised we would help her," he said.

"Please... He's going to kill me for trying to help Andie escape..." Mora said. "Or... Or _worse..."_

"Mora... Did he...?" Syd asked in genuine horror, unable to complete her question.

"He tried to," Mora admitted in a shaky whisper. "He... He made me _kiss_ him..." She felt like she was going to be sick. "The Alchemist stopped it from going further, but he drained all my energy..."

Jared touched Mora's cheek, wiping away a tear. She looked at him sadly. "Thanks," she said softly.

Lady Eleanor frowned. "While Zell's actions are certainly not appropriate and I do not condone them, they do not excuse your own," she said firmly.

"I know that," Mora said, unable to bring herself to look at her.

"Gram… Maybe we should hear what Mora has to offer before we just sentence her to die," Greg said gently.

"Gregory, the things this _abomination_ has done-" Lady Eleanor began, making Mora flinch.

"Gram… _Please._ She made bad choices, but she's trying to make the right ones now…" Greg paused, looking at Mora. "Is Andie okay?"

"She was when we left, but he was _really_ angry… I can't promise he didn't hurt her," Mora admitted.

"Tell us _everything_ you know… Describe every inch of that property and tell us who's there and what we need to know to stop them… And I'll talk to Sage and see if I can convince her to spare your life."

"Gregory-" Lady Eleanor objected.

"Gram, _Andie_ sent her to us. She trusted her to bring Jared to safety. That's good enough for me." He looked nervous to be confronting his grandmother, and Mora couldn't blame him. That woman terrified her.

Lady Eleanor seemed surprised by Greg's words. She sighed. "Very well. Tell us what you know, and _perhaps_ we shall plead your case to Sage," she said.

"I will," Mora said. "I'll tell you _everything,_ I _swear!_ "

Her promise was unable to be fulfilled as someone appeared. Mora's eyes went wide at the sight of Callie. She looked around, but there was no sign of Sharon.

"Alright," Callie said. "Your little outing's over. You're both coming home."

"That's _not_ my home," Jared said bravely.

"Shut up, Kid. You're coming back with me."

"Please… I _can't_ go back there," Mora whispered. She wished desperately that Lady Eleanor hadn't destroyed her monster.

"You don't get a say. You're part of the Alliance, Mora. That's for _life_ ," Callie said.

"You're not taking them _anywhere,"_ Syd said. She stepped in front of Mora and Jared, ready to fight.

"Damn right," Z said, joining her. "You want the kid… Or _kids_ … You'll have to go through _us."_

"And who, exactly, _are_ you?" Callie asked.

"SPD," Sky and Jack said in unison. Bridge pulled out his morpher to prove it.

"SPD? _Seriously?_ Whatever. You guys aren't even from this time… And I know what Zell did to you, Sydney. You're worthless."

Syd looked like she might attack her, but Sky held her back to keep her from taking the bait. Z jumped between them and said, " _No one_ talks about my girl like that."

"There's one of me and, what, _nine_ of you here? Ten if you count the bucket of spare parts?"

"My name is _Sprocket_ , and I find your words offensive," Sprocket objected.

She ignored him. "Those odds are hardly fair… I mean, there really aren't enough of you to present a challenge."

"Oh, really?" Z asked. Suddenly, she was _everywhere_ as she split off more clones than Mora had ever seen before. "How's _that?"_ The clones asked in unison.

Callie laughed. "Neat trick… But it won't do much." Suddenly, she began to attack. Her magic was insanely powerful and SPD wasn't prepared for it. Even Lady Eleanor seemed surprised by how much of a punch the girl packed, although she remained calm and continued to fight.

"Just give up the kids and we can be done here," Callie said.

"Not a _chance_ , Bitch!" Syd declared.

Callie sighed. "Fine. We'll do this the fun way." She proceeded to launch several attacks at once. Jack and Sky were knocked through the air until they vanished from sight. Mora knew they were still in the same realm, but they'd landed pretty far away and were probably hurt. Callie radiated flames as she launched a fire attack on Z. It hit the original so hard, her clones all merged back into her main body. Syd was fending off some invisible attack.

"Syd! There's _nothing_ there!" Greg shouted. "It's an illusion!"

"Get it off! Get it _off_!" Syd screamed.

"I've got her," Sprocket said. "You guys keep fighting." He stood in front of her, trying to keep Callie from getting any closer to her. Sprocket might not be able to break the illusion, but he could at least keep Syd physically safe from harm.

Lady Eleanor nearly shoved a sword through Callie, but Callie released a blast of energy that sent her flying backward. "Gram!" Greg shouted.

"I'm fine," Lady Eleanor replied. "Stand your ground, Gregory!" She sounded fairly far away.

"Callie, _stop it!"_ Jared begged her. "Please don't do this. You don't have to work for that psychopath."

"We share a common enemy, Kid. He's going to help me destroy the bitch," Callie replied. "He's not mad at you, Jared. He thinks you're just a kid who's easily influenced. He just wants you to come back home."

"We're _never_ going back there," Jared said firmly.

Suddenly, a hole opened up in the earth and nearly swallowed Callie. She barely jumped back in time. She turned toward Greg and glared at him. "You want to _play_ , Four Eyes?" She taunted him.

"I won't let you hurt them," Greg said. He prepared to open another hole. Callie flung fire at him.

The fire hit him directly, but he didn't burn. "What the fuck?" Callie asked aloud. "Fine! I'll do this _another_ way!"

"Of _course…"_ Greg mumbled. "You were born from his flames... And Darcy, Andie, and I are immune to them."

"Does that mean she can't hurt him?" Jared asked Mora.

"No. It just means the fire magic she uses won't work on him. Callie has other methods…" Mora replied.

Sure enough, Callie switched tactics. She manifested a set of throwing knives out of thin air and began throwing them at Greg. He was able to create holes and dive into them, escaping most of the hits, but Callie was determined to hit him. She finally figured out a pattern to his movements and one of the knives landed in his shoulder. Greg cried out in pain and she threw a knife into his side. His injury was serious, but not fatal. Something in Callie's eyes told Mora that was about to change.

Without stopping to think about what she was doing, Mora handed Cindy Sunshine to Jared. "Take care of her for me," she said. Then, she ran in front of Greg as Callie threw a knife that was headed straight for his chest.

Mora knocked Greg to the ground. The knife landed in her chest instead. She cried out in pain as she fell to the ground.

"Greg! Mora!" Sprocket cried in alarm.

Callie was about to attack again when someone suddenly appeared from thin air. The girl tackled Callie to the ground. "I don't _think_ so," she said firmly.

" _Denni…"_ Callie practically hissed.

"Hi, Sis," Denni replied calmly.

The two girls began to battle as Mora's vision blurred. "Mora… Oh man, Mora, please… Don't die," Jared said softly as he knelt beside her. He offered Cindy Sunshine to her, and Mora embraced her best friend, taking comfort in her presence.

"Gregory… Are you alright?" Lady Eleanor asked.

"I think so," Greg said. "Bleeding, but… I don't believe she hit anything vital."

Lady Eleanor began patching her grandson up. "You've lost a decent amount of blood… You'll need to be healed, but you are going to be fine, Gregory." She hesitated before looking at Mora. "Mora… Thank you… For saving my grandson," she said a bit awkwardly.

"Is she dying?" Sprocket asked sadly.

"Her wound is surely fatal," Lady Eleanor replied. "Without a healer… She stands no chance of survival."

The last thing Mora heard before she blacked out from blood loss was the sound of someone else arriving.

 _ **DENNI**_

She hadn't wanted to leave her father or Kira, but she sensed trouble and had shadow traveled to the source. It didn't surprise her to see Callie in the middle of it. What _did_ surprise her was how much damage the girl had managed to do on her own. Even Lady Eleanor had been injured slightly, and she was a decent distance from the others.

Knowing Callie was about to kill everyone she possibly could, Denni had stepped in. Now, the two girls struggled against each other. It was strange because Denni could feel their connection through the flames. She wanted to get to know her, to help her walk away from Zell, but at the same time, she knew she had to stop her. All of the Children of the Flame had incredible power within them, but Denni sensed that she and Callie were the most evenly matched in battle.

Callie stabbed Denni in the chest with a knife. It hurt, but as soon as Denni pulled it out of her chest, she healed from the injury. Callie stared at her in confusion before trying again. Denni rolled her eyes. "Did you _not_ realize that doesn't work on me after it failed the _first_ time?" She asked.

"What the fuck _are_ you?" Callie asked. "Even immortals suffer injuries… They just don't die from them."

"I'm immortal, but I also heal instantly," Denni said casually. "He made me into the ultimate weapon… I guess he didn't expect to lose control of me."

Callie seemed angry at this. She tried to attack Denni with a spell. Denni was able to deflect the energy and send it back toward Callie. It fell apart, not harming either girl. Callie went for a physical attack next, grabbing Denni by her arm and twisting it hard behind her back. She tried to restrain her. Denni slipped into one of the shadows, taking Callie with her. She moved back out of it, leaving Callie completely disoriented. Callie stumbled and released her. She tried to sweep Denni's legs out from under her, but Denni flipped through the air and kicked Callie's head like it was a soccer ball. Callie let out a cry of protest and pain as she fell to the ground.

Denni tried to restrain her. Part of her hoped she could get through to Callie and convince her to walk away from Zell. She managed to lock her into a perfect submission hold, but suddenly, Callie vanished.

"Coward!" Denni shouted, knowing Zell had summoned Callie back to the safety of his base. She stood up and realized everyone had gathered around two figures on the ground. She headed toward them, hoping the worst had not come to pass. She didn't want to consider that anyone else might have died. Trent was bad enough.

 _Don't think about him right now,_ she scolded herself. She needed to keep a clear head, and Trent's death had upset her. Watching Ethan, Kira, and her father grieve was breaking her heart, and in the short time she'd known him, Denni had gotten attached to Trent. Besides, he'd sacrificed himself to save her father. That was a debt Denni would never be able to repay.

 _ **TROY**_

He'd been surprised when his mother sent him a message. _Find Greg. Save Mora. She has earned that much. Find out what she knows and send her back to jail in SPD's future, where she belongs. Love you._

Immediately, Troy had focused his energy on finding Greg. It hadn't taken him long. He saw everyone gathered around two people. Greg looked hurt, but he was aware and Lady Eleanor was trying to tend to his injuries. Mora, on the other hand, looked like she was about to die at any second. She wasn't conscious.

"Troy… Have you come to finish her off?" Sky asked.

"No," Troy said. "I've come to save her life."

"What?" Bridge asked in surprise.

"On my mother's order…"

"Sage changed her mind?" Syd asked.

"Mom is connected to you, Syd," Troy explained. "She just restored your light, so she can see things when you're in trouble sometimes. It happens with Zedd, too. Whatever Mora did here today proved to Mom that her life was worth sparing." He set to work on healing Mora, willing her not to die even though she was very close to losing her life.

"She saved Greg's life," Jared said. "And that was _after_ she rescued _me_ from Zell's place." He looked at Troy. "You can really help her?"

"Yes," Troy replied. "I'm a healer, Jared. I'll do everything I can for her, and then I'll try to help anyone else who needs it."

"Don't bother," a new voice said. "We're here to help."

"Pierce…" Greg said softly. "Amos…"

"Hang in there, Greg. I'll heal you," Pierce promised.

"Guys… Z's _really_ hurt," Jack said.

"I've got her," Amos said. "Healing that one is more complicated due to the nature of her powers and the way in which she was injured. Stay with Greg, Little Fish."

Pierce had Greg healed pretty quickly. Troy was impressed with how strong he'd become. Amos had Z up and moving shortly after. It took several tense minutes, but Mora finally opened her eyes. She looked up at Troy in confusion. "I… I don't understand…" She said softly.

"Your death sentence has been reversed, Mora," Troy told her. "My mother decided you have proven you deserve another chance."

"Thank you for saving me, Mora," Greg said.

"You defended me," Mora said. "That was kind… And you've taken such good care of Sprocket."

"We can't let you stay here, Mora. Do you understand that? After you tell us what you know, we'll have to send you back to the future… In SPD's custody," Troy said.

"I understand," Mora replied. "And it's still a lot better than going back to _him_." She shook her head. "He makes me miss Emperor Gruumm _so_ much…"

"Then it's settled," Sky said. "Start talking, Mora."

And so, she did. Slowly but surely, Mora told them everything she knew. She listed every Ranger of the Flame. She told them what had happened to Lily. She told them any weaknesses she could think of, and she explained who each of the Alliance members were. She also told them that not everyone was as loyal as they appeared. She took out her sketch book and drew out a fairly detailed map of the base.

"The labyrinth will make it impossible for you to navigate," she said. "You need one of the Alliance on your side… Sharon will probably help you. I think she wants to leave… And I suspect that Zizi is not on his side… She might help, too."

"Thank you, Mora," Troy said. "Is there anything else?"

"One thing," Mora said. She looked at him carefully before saying, "It's not going to be as easy as you all think."

"What do you mean by that?" Lady Eleanor asked.

"He isn't just here… He's spread himself throughout the time line. He split off parts of himself, like he did when he sent Divatox back in time, and each part must be dealt with before you can fully destroy him. He doesn't know that I know that, but I saw him cast the spell that did it. I can't tell you where he is, or _when_ he is, or even how many aspects of him there are scattered throughout the time line… But I _can_ tell you that if you don't take them _all_ out, he will only come back stronger."

Lady Eleanor tensed. "Damn him…" She mumbled. "Of _course_ he thought to pull something like that."

"We'll find him," Denni said. "And when we do, we'll destroy him until there's _nothing_ left."

Troy nodded. "I'll tell Mom. She needs to know this… And we'll figure out a plan," he said. He wasn't looking forward to that, or to having to tell his mother that her aunt had convinced one of her best friends he was her son and turned him against everyone else. Still, Troy knew he had to do it. If his mother didn't have all of the facts before going into that house, she might not make it back out.

 _Don't think like that,_ he scolded himself. _Your mom's tough. She's_ got _this._ Still, it was impossible not to worry. Troy had already lost so much… That was part of why he understood what his mother was doing. If it had been _his_ teammate who'd been kidnapped, he'd have done the same exact thing.

"Mora… It's time," Syd said gently.

Mora nodded. "I know," she said. "Can Cindy Sunshine come with me?"

"Of course she can."

"Okay… I'm ready," Mora said softly, clutching the doll in her arms.

Being the only active Red SPD Ranger in the current time, Bridge pulled out his confinement card. "Mora… Guilty or innocent?" He asked. The card immediately found Mora guilty. Bridge clicked the button and Mora was instantly captured. She looked back at them from the card, still clutching her doll, and offered up a sad smile.

"Will she ever be released?" Troy asked.

"For now, she's not getting out of there… But maybe one day," Sky said. "Her sentence was for life, but that could change… Maybe we can reevaluate things and take her recent behavior into consideration…"

"Whatever happens, Mora will return to the future, where she belongs," Jack said. "Alright, guys… Let's send her back."

Troy watched the SPD team walk away, presumably to send the confinement card into the future to Dr. Kat Manx. At least one bit of order had been restored. He knew Mora was in good hands. It was time to set another thing right. He looked at Jared. "Come on, Jared," he said. "Let's get you home to your father."


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

 _ **JUSTIN**_

He had somehow forced himself to keep functioning. Justin knew that not only had Zell abducted his son, but Katherine had kept him from escaping. Zell was bad enough, but he was _terrified_ of what Kat would do to his son. Justin, more than anyone, knew exactly what Kat was capable of.

He was outside on his own. That was something Justin didn't do. He sensed danger and wasn't sure if it was his paranoia. When an army of golden soldiers appeared, Justin knew the threat was real. Cackling sounded through the air. He was searching for a way out of this mess when, suddenly, something unexpected happened.

"Storm Blaster?" He asked in disbelief. The blue car was made from alien technology and was a sentient being. It was also an old friend of his. It honked in greeting, driving between Justin and the golden soldiers.

Storm Blaster opened its door and launched something at Justin as more golden soldiers arrived. Katherine appeared and cackled again. "Hi, Justin!" She said cheerfully. "Did you _miss_ me?"

Justin felt fear threatening to overwhelm him, but he picked the device up anyway. Suddenly, he knew what he had to do. There was no other choice. His son needed him, and he had to survive long enough to help him.

"Shift into Turbo!" He cried.

He morphed for the first time since he'd been a kid. It felt strange, but it also felt _right_. Katherine stared at him in disbelief. "Impossible! Zordon only restored _Cassie's_ powers!" She objected.

"It looks like someone _else_ restored _mine,"_ Justin said.

"You _hate_ being a Power Ranger! You blame it for everything you went through!"

"Actually, I did, but I was _wrong,_ Kat. _You_ were the cause of most of it... But I'm _through_ being afraid! I'm _not_ a scared little boy anymore, and you messed with my _son!_ That was a _big_ mistake!"

"You're _not_ a Power Ranger, Justin. You're just my pet."

"I _am_ a Power Ranger, Kat. True Blue, _remember?_ And the thing is, no matter how much I tried to fight it, once a Ranger, _always_ a Ranger."

"You'll fail! You're all alone, Justin!"

"Not so much, actually," a voice said.

Justin looked behind him and spotted Andros, fully morphed. Zhane stood beside him, also morphed. "Perfect timing, guys," Justin said.

"Justin?" Cassie asked as she teleported in.

"Back in blue," Justin confirmed.

"Blue always _did_ look good on you," she said with a huge grin. Then, she added, "Shift into Turbo!" Justin felt an odd sense of peace as his former teammate morphed. They might be the only two Turbo Rangers left, but they still had each other.

The Golden Army was still trying to attack. Cassie suddenly noticed the car. "Is that Storm Blaster?" She asked in shock as it mowed several of the soldiers down.

"Yep," Justin said fondly. "It seems he's still got my back."

Katherine tried to attack. Justin dodged the blow and shielded Cassie from another one. Cassie recovered and sent a kick straight at Katherine's chest, knocking her back. "You _dare_ to attack me?" She demanded. "I _made you_ what you are, Cassie! Don't forget who wore that suit first!"

"Yeah... But _I_ wore it _better,"_ Cassie replied, attacking again.

Justin watched in odd fascination as the two Pink Turbo Rangers, past and present, faced off against each other. They were fairly evenly paired, but Cassie was better at the Martial Arts side of things. Katherine resorted to magic.

"Cassie, look out!" Andros screamed.

Cassie dodged a spell. "Cheater," she said. "Let's even these odds." She nodded at Andros. Somehow, he seemed to understand. Andros mumbled something into his communicator. Ten seconds later, Karone appeared.

Katherine visibly paled. She nearly looked white like she'd been before Zell brought her back. Cassie laughed. " _Now_ it's a party!" She declared.

Cassie launched a new physical assault. Karone began using magic to keep Katherine from doing any harm with hers. Justin had to focus on battle as the Golden Army went after him again. Andros and Zhane stood on either side of him. "We can take them," Zhane said confidently.

"Do you have a plan?" Andros asked.

"Nope," Zhane replied cheerfully.

" _I_ do," Justin said. He explained it quickly. Then, they set it in motion. Zhane and Andros summoned their Galaxy Gliders, with Zhane flying left over the Golden Soldiers and Andros flying right. They swooped between the soldiers, weaving their attack and strategically taking out every enemy in their path. Justin held down the middle, remembering his intense Martial Arts training and using it to kick, punch, and fight his way through the ones Andros and Zhane did not attack. Since the air attack had grabbed their attention, the soldiers were caught by surprise by Justin's ground-based attack. Soon, the entire army lay fallen on the ground.

Katherine was still battling Cassie and Karone. "That's a whole lot of Pink on Pink violence over there..." Zhane commented.

"Should we help?" Andros asked.

"The girls have this," Zhane said.

Suddenly, another person showed up. The girl looked nervous, but she moved in front of Katherine to protect her. That was when both Cassie and Karone froze in shock.

"Kendrix?" Cassie asked quietly.

"Oh my God..." Karone whispered.

"You knew my mother?" The girl asked.

Karone's hair suddenly turned bright red and short. "Kendrix didn't _have_ a daughter," she said sharply. "Impostor!"

The girl nervously stepped back. She was visibly trembling. Katherine cowered behind her at the sight of Karone's sudden transformation.

"Karone... Chill with the Astronema. You're scaring the kid," Cassie said softly.

"That is _not_ a _kid!_ She is _lying!"_ Karone insisted.

"Karone, I know Kendrix meant a lot to you, but-" Andros began.

"Don't bother finishing that sentence! This _impostor_ is protecting that _traitor!_ She has to die!"

"Whoa, isn't that a _little_ extreme?" Cassie asked. "Kendrix literally _died_ to save my life. I loved her, too... Unknown kids have been popping up everywhere. Shouldn't we give her a chance in case she _is_ her daughter?"

Karone held a sword to the girl's throat. Katherine ran in the confusion. The terrified girl looked like she might cry. "P-please... I don' want ta hurt anyone..." She said nervously. Justin noticed her accent was getting stronger.

"What's your name, Honey?" Cassie asked.

"Sh-Sharon..."

"Karone... Put the sword down before she has a heart attack," Zhane said gently.

"If this is a trick-" Karone began.

"Then you get to kill her and tell us you were right... But _look_ at her. This girl isn't here to hurt us."

Karone reluctantly lowered her sword. Andros cleared his throat and motioned toward her hair. Karone took a deep breath and returned to normal.

"Sharon... Tell us the truth. Who are you?" Andros asked.

"I'm one of the Children of the Flame," Sharon said nervously. "There are six of us. We were born in the Flames with the DNA of one parent... My Ma was Kendrix, but I never met her... Great Zell sent Alliance members through time to create us... Someone was sent to my Ma before she died... I'm not sure which time, though... Maya and Damon said she died twice."

Karone's hair briefly flashed purple and Astronema-styled at those words before returning to blonde. Cassie looked like she wanted to cry... But Justin couldn't focus on that for the moment because he suddenly understood. "Jared..." He said softly.

"Is he okay? Mora took him and ran," Sharon said with concern. "Andie told me she got them out but couldn't free herself... Great Zell roughed her up something awful for that..." She shuddered.

"Mora has my son?!" Justin demanded.

"I don' think she'd hurt him," Sharon said quickly. "Mora's scared of Great Zell. She wanted to be free from the Alliance..."

"And what do _you_ want?" Karone asked suspiciously. It was clear she was trying not to shift back into Astronema.

"I just want to have a home..." Sharon replied softly. "Great Zell gave me that... But-"

Before she could finish speaking, she vanished. "Zell pulled her out," Andros said.

"Guys... We _have_ to help her," Cassie said.

"She's loyal to Zell," Karone snapped.

"I don't think she is..." Justin said softly.

Suddenly, a hologram appeared on Storm Blaster's hood. Cassie and Justin instantly focused on the figure who looked at them. "Rangers... Please... _Find me..."_ The woman said.

"Is that...?" Andros asked in shock.

 _"Dimitria,"_ Cassie and Justin replied in unison.

"Justin... If this message is playing, then you are _finally_ ready... Remember, Rangers... The answers lie within," the hologram said.

"What's going on? Why did she send this message? Where has she _been?"_ Justin demanded.

"She _just said_ the answers lie _within,"_ Zhane said lightly.

"Yeah... Dimitria was never one for giving straight answers," Justin admitted with a sigh.

"So she's missing..." Andros said.

" _Seriously?"_ Cassie demanded. "We _just_ saved her, like, ten seconds ago!"

"What?" Justin asked.

"Divatox kidnapped her in 1989. Part of what Lucas and I did on our mission included rescuing her," Cassie explained. "And now, she's been kidnapped _again._ She's going to need to change her name to Tommy Oliver soon!" She threw her hands up in frustration.

"But Divatox is dead... So who would have the power to kidnap Dimitria?" Justin asked nervously.

"You mean _besides_ Zell? I don't know... But not many people would have a reason to, unless they're morally offended by riddles," Cassie replied.

"Well, shit..." Zhane said. "I guess we'd better find her."

Andros sighed. "It could be a trap..." He said.

"Other than Zordon, only Dimitria could have sent Storm Blaster with my morpher," Justin said. "And I know Zordon respected my choice to walk away from all of that."

"Yeah... Speaking of that..." Zhane said, motioning to Justin's Turbo suit.

"The bad guys messed with my _family,"_ Justin replied. "It was time to stop hiding and to stand and fight instead."

"I'm _so_ proud of you, Justin," Cassie said, giving him a hug. "And look... You _finally_ grew into your suit!" She laughed.

Justin shoved her playfully, but then even _he_ started to laugh. "It only took a couple of decades..." He mumbled.

"Guys! Is everything okay? You're morphed," Troy said, causing Justin to look up. He spotted the person beside Troy and almost cried with relief.

"Jared!" He cried.

 _"Dad?!"_ Jared asked in disbelief.

Justin took off his helmet. He didn't shrink, which was new. Cassie seemed to have the same thought as she smirked at him after taking off her own helmet.

"Aunt Cassie?!" Jared asked, still stunned.

Justin pulled Jared into his arms. "Are you okay?" He demanded.

"I'm fine... But _you_ left the _house!_ And... And you're a _Power Ranger!_ I mean, Zell told me you were, but... But you weren't active, right?"

"I wasn't... But I am _now._ Did he hurt you? Did... Did Kat?"

"Katherine never got near me except when I tried to escape... She brought me back to Zell, but he kept her away from me. He didn't trust her around me. Zell didn't hurt me, Dad. I'm a little freaked out, but I'm totally fine."

"Troy, how did you end up with Jared?" Andros asked.

"Mora called Sprocket for help. It's a long story, but her actions made Mom decide to spare her life, and she gave us some information before surrendering to SPD and being sent back to the future where she belongs," Troy replied. "Why did you guys morph? And how did Justin get his powers back?"

" _That_ is _also_ a long story," Andros replied. "But I think we're safe to drop our morphs now." He powered down, so everyone else followed his lead.

Storm Blaster honked impatiently. "Sorry, Buddy," Justin said. "Jared, I'd like you to meet an old friend... _This_ is Storm Blaster."

Jared's eyes went wide as he saw that no one was driving the car. "Is it a robot?" He asked with the same excitement Justin had in his eyes when he'd first seen Storm Blaster.

"Storm Blaster is a sentient being," Justin explained. Mischief lit up his own eyes as he asked, "Do you want to go for a ride?"

"Is that even a _question?"_ Jared hopped into the passenger side.

Justin smiled as the car automatically strapped a seat belt across his son. Then, he got into the driver's seat. "Okay, Storm Blaster... Let's have an adventure," he said. His own seat belt locked into place and the car's doors closed before they took off. For the first time in a long time, Justin relaxed.

 _ **SHARON**_

She knew Zell was angry with her. He smiled too much, and it did not touch his eyes. "Sharon... It has come to my attention that you are questioning your place in my Alliance," he said coldly.

"I am loyal to you, Great Zell," she said nervously. "You sent Felina to rescue me from that horrible place... You gave me a home."

"Yet you are unhappy here."

"I'm not unhappy... I just... I don't like to hurt people, Great Zell... And I watched Katherine _murder_ someone."

"He was a Power Ranger. They would kill you in a heartbeat."

"But... I don't think they _would..._ I met more of them today, and... They didn't hurt me."

"Karone was ready to destroy you, Sharon, my dear... You are still so innocent... You do not understand the way the world works yet, or that people lie about their true intentions. Trust me, they were going to harm you. That is why I pulled you out."

"But if _they_ can lie about their true intentions, who is to say that _you_ aren't?" She asked practically.

Zell grew visibly furious. In an instant, the switch flipped. He stared at her and a blast of energy burst from him. It knocked her back several feet, hard against the wall. Her head was fuzzy, and she felt blood dripping down the side.

"Hey! Back off of her!" Callie protested. Sharon had no idea where she'd come from. Callie planted herself between Zell and Sharon.

Suddenly, Zell returned to the seemingly gentle, benevolent man he pretended to be. In a soft voice, he said, "Oh! Forgive me, my dears... That sometimes happens when I channel too much energy."

Callie did not move. "Leave Sharon alone. She's still trying to figure things out, okay? If people show her kindness, of _course_ she trusts them... She grew up starved for affection. She's still loyal, Great Zell," Callie said firmly.

"It was an _accident,_ Callie, my dear," Zell insisted.

"Bullshit. You can fool everyone _else,_ Zell, but _I_ grew up on Onyx. That was _no_ accident, and she didn't deserve it."

His jaw locked slightly at the fact that Callie had not used his title, but he took a breath after a moment and seemed calmer. "I know you have seen much, Callie, however I assure you, I meant no harm. I lost my temper for a moment. My sincerest apologies. Now, kindly go fetch Felina. She can heal the girl."

"Fetch her _yourself._ I'm not a dog, and I'm not leaving you alone with her right now."

"Your loyalty to your sister is admirable," Zell replied. "Very well. In a show of good faith, I shall do this your way." He left after that.

"Are you okay?" Callie asked Sharon.

"I... My head's fuzzy..." Sharon admitted. "But thank ya, Callie... I think that was almost _much_ worse."

"You're smart, Sharon, but you don't get how psychos like that work. You can't go pissing him off unless you can defend yourself, and... You're not ready for that. You have to play along and pretend you trust him. Okay?"

"Callie... We could leave, right? Go somewhere else... There are people who would help us."

"Nowhere in the universe is safe from Zell... But I'll protect you, Sharon. I promise."

Sharon nodded. It hurt. Felina appeared a minute later. "Go join the others," she told Callie.

"I'm not leaving her," Callie said firmly.

"I'm here to heal her. I have no reason to harm her. _Go,"_ Felina said again.

"It's okay, Callie. Felina won' harm me," Sharon promised.

Callie nodded and left them. Felina knelt beside Sharon. "Oh, Sharon..." She said softly. She sighed, then wiped away some of the blood on Sharon's head with a cloth. "You mustn't anger him, Sharon... Do you understand? Keep your head down."

Felina began to heal her. This helped clear her head a bit. She saw the obvious concern on Felina's face. "Ya look shaken up, Felina," she said softly. "It's no' just concern for me, _is_ it?"

"You were quite injured... You have been through enough pain in your life. Why add more?"

"Everyone seems to think you're a cold, unfeeling lass... But ya care about me."

"I do _not_ care about others, Sharon. That is a weakness I cannot afford. The truth is, you remind me of someone."

"Who?"

"Another weak, frightened, abused little girl Great Zell rescued. A girl he helped grow into a fierce warrior. I believe you shall grow fierce one day as well."

"Me?"

"Yes, Sharon. _You."_ Felina looked incredibly sad.

"Felina... Were _you_ that girl?" She guessed.

"A very, _very_ long time ago." She sighed. "Rest now, Sharon. I shall bring you some food later." She led Sharon back to her bedroom before tucking her in and walking away.

 _ **ANDIE**_

She wasn't eager to face Zell. She was still covered in bruises. Still, when her door finally opened, she was relieved. She was feeling incredibly claustrophobic being unable to leave her room.

Kenny greeted her and she almost cried with relief. Brainwashed or not, Andie was pretty sure Kenny wouldn't hurt her. He saw the bruises and the smile vanished from his face. His eyes filled with concern as he demanded, "Who hit you?"

"Zell did," Andie replied.

Kenny looked confused. "That's impossible," he said. "My grandfather loves you. He would never hurt you."

"Kenny... He's not your grandfather, and he's incapable of love."

"It's the attack talking... You're confused because of the trauma... Let me help." Kenny ran off, closing the door. He returned with an ice pack a few minutes later. "This will help bring down some of the swelling." He tried to touch it to her jaw. Andie flinched. Kenny softened even more. "It's okay, Andie... I won't hurt you," he promised.

"I don't like to be touched," Andie explained softly.

Kenny nodded. "I get it. Neither does..." He paused, confusion appearing on his face as he passed the ice pack to her.

Andie put the ice pack against her jaw. It helped a bit. "Neither does _who,_ Kenny?" She asked patiently.

"Josh... But... But Josh is a traitor..." He shook his head.

"No, Kenny... Josh is your _brother._ Your mom married his dad... And you're best friends."

Kenny was trembling. "We _were_ best friends... But my mom isn't married to Billy... She _just_ left my dad..." He shuddered.

"Your dad can't hurt you anymore, Kenny... He's dead. Do you remember?"

"Dead? But... How?" Kenny asked softly.

If there was one thing Andie understood, it was how complicated emotions could be when your father was a monster. "He got turned into a minotaur, Kenny... He attacked you and your mom, and Billy killed him to save you both."

"Billy? Billy _killed_ someone?"

"To save two people he loves very much."

Kenny looked even more confused, like he couldn't understand her words. Then, he seemed to calm down and Andie knew either Katherine or Zell was in his head. "No," he said softly. "The Power Rangers are traitors... They work for my uncle Zordon... And he betrayed my grandfather. They're evil."

"Kenny, _you're_ a Power Ranger. So am I."

"Of course we're not. We're loyal to Grandpa Zell. He is the greatest force of Good in all the Universe."

Andie sighed. "Kenny..." She touched his arm, focusing on his very soul, hoping her affinity for Spirit could help him remember the truth.

Kenny pulled away like she'd slapped him. Andie knew that whatever Katherine had done to him, it would be complicated to break. "I'm supposed to bring you to our next meal," he said tonelessly.

"Kenny... Where's Sharon? Why did he send you?" Andie suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Sharon is confused. The Power Rangers nearly captured her. Grandpa Zell is helping her."

"Bring me to her," Andie said. " _Please."_ She knew that Sharon was in horrible danger.

"They are not to be disturbed. Go on, get ready. I'll wait here." He motioned toward the bathroom. Andie sighed, knowing she had no choice but to play Zell's game for now. She grabbed fresh clothes and headed into the bathroom to change. She'd have to hope that Zell valued Sharon enough that he wouldn't hurt her.

When Kenny finally led her to the dining room, Sharon was missing. Desperate, Andie looked at Callie. "Is Sharon okay?" She asked.

Callie seemed surprised. "Felina's taking care of her," she said with a shrug. "She'll be fine."

Andie had noticed Felina seemed a bit gentler around Sharon. She believed she would not hurt her. She couldn't dwell on it as Zell entered. "My dear Daphne..." He said. "To make up for our disagreement, I have a surprise for you."

 _Disagreement,_ she thought. _Is_ that _what he calls it?_

"Come in, my dear!" Zell called grandly.

To Andie's great surprise, a little girl walked into the room. She had dark tan skin, long black hair, and big, innocent eyes. She looked at Andie nervously. "Daphne, this is A'Vah. A'Vah, this is your mother."

"Yes, Father," the little girl replied. "Hello, Mother." She curtsied politely.

Andie was stunned. "Zell, what's going on? Did you kidnap a child?" She demanded.

"I did not abduct the girl, Daphne. The poor dear was abandoned in the woods. She'd been living there for over a year. I had an associate retrieve her and bring her to me. We shall raise her together, my dear."

Andie was speechless. Laby looked like he thought Zell had lost his mind. She didn't disagree. A'Vah looked nervous. She chewed on her bottom lip a bit before asking, "Tuti?" She pronounced it _too-tee,_ with an accent and emphasis on the first part.

"Ah, yes... The _Chexlee,"_ Zell said. "Your friend is well, A'Vah. _Vrell miraz schozah."_ Andie realized his translation had been in Eltarian.

" _Chexlee._ That's an eagle-like bird from Eltar... Zell, is A'Vah an Aviary?" Andie asked in surprise.

"Indeed, my dear... The very first Aviary Eltar has seen since Lido. Naturally, she was feared and shunned."

Looking at the sweet child, Andie could not understand how anyone could fear her. "She's just a little girl... How could they abandon her?" She wondered aloud.

"Worry not for our dear daughter, Daphne... She has a family now," Zell replied. "And raising her gives you the purpose I know you long for... A'Vah, _frez mano retticeh."_

A'Vah obediently sat beside Andie and looked at the plate of food which appeared in front of her. She tried to pick some food up with her hands.

"Manners, A'Vah. Use the fork, my dear," Zell said.

A'Vah toyed with her fork, picking it up awkwardly before poking the food with it. She frowned when she couldn't get food onto it. Andie automatically scooped food onto the fork and raised it toward A'Vah's mouth. She looked at Andie gratefully before opening her mouth to accept the food.

The kid was helpless. Andie knew she had to protect her, even if that meant playing Zell's latest game. She fed A'Vah before feeding herself as everyone made awkward small talk. Lachlan looked unharmed as he sat watching Zell. Andie was relieved he hadn't been punished for trying to run.

Bax strolled in casually. "Sorry I'm late," he said with a shrug.

Zell was visibly angry. "Baxzon, where _were_ you?" He demanded.

"I went to see Alex," Bax replied. "He was passing through on his way to his prisoner. Since he has not checked in since Time Force caught onto him, I assumed you would want an update."

"I did not ask you to do that."

"You rarely ask me to do _anything,_ so I took it upon myself. If I show initiative, perhaps you'll take me seriously."

"Your time shall come, Baxzon. Be patient." Zell paused. "Did you find anything out?"

"Yes. Alex has been hiding throughout the time line. He knows his ex will have notified his people of his betrayal, so his own time is no longer safe for him. He is still loyal and awaiting instruction from the Alliance."

"Excellent... However, do not take such liberties again, Baxzon. Wait for orders."

"Right, right. Sorry."

"I do not like your _tone,_ Baxzon." Zell was speaking softly, but his threat was clear. Andie tensed automatically. A'Vah looked terrified. She stared at Andie with big, frightened eyes. Andie automatically pulled the child into her lap and held her. She made soothing shushing sounds. A'Vah held onto her tightly, clearly still frightened. Andie found herself humming a strangely familiar melody.

"Is that...?" Laby asked in surprise. He looked incredibly sad.

Andie began singing a foreign song. _"Ezkaba sherra, ezkaba shey... Bizzebah uomo, domino dey. Letimaz tomos, lomino ey..."_ She knew the meaning in her mind. _Rest easy, darling, rest easy dear. Nothing shall harm you this day... The glowing light shall protect you._

"What song is that?" Zizi asked.

" _Ezkaba sherra..._ The most famous Eltarian lullaby," Laby said. "You've never heard it?"

"You _knew_ my mother, Laby... Did you _really_ think she was the lullaby type?"

"Fair point. Anyway, Sera used to sing it to Daphne all the time... And Daphne sang it to Zordon."

"Indeed she did," Zell said with a peaceful smile on his face. "Every night."

A'Vah seemed deeply comforted by the song, and Andie found herself singing it through a second time. She ignored how much this seemed to please Zell, focusing only on the child. A'Vah fell asleep in her arms.

"Poor dear... She is exhausted. Kenny, please escort them back to their room," Zell said. "I added a bed for our daughter, my dear." He smiled at Andie.

Andie nodded. "Fine," she agreed. It was obvious A'Vah needed rest. She carried the sleeping child toward the bedroom.

"Let me carry her," Kenny said. "You're still hurt."

"She's sound asleep... I don't want to wake her," Andie said softly. "It's okay. She weighs almost nothing."

Kenny nodded. "She's _really_ cute," he said. "I think... I think I wanted a little sister..." He shook his head.

Andie wanted to tell him he _had_ a little sister, but she knew it was pointless. She smiled at him kindly. "So help me protect her, Kenny."

He smiled back. "Of course," he said. He opened the bedroom door and held it so Andie could step inside. She saw the smaller bed beside hers and a small dresser that probably had clothes for the girl. She set A'Vah down and covered her. The little one didn't so much as stir, but she curled up in a ball. She seemed anxious as she slept.

Andie didn't know she was doing it until she cast a small spell. Suddenly, a stuffed teddy bear manifested. "You can do _magic?"_ Kenny asked in surprise.

"Not much... But Isobel and Daphne can," Andie said. She was just as stunned as Kenny. She put the teddy bear into A'Vah's arms. A'Vah automatically snuggled it, seeming to calm down a bit.

When Kenny left, Andie watched A'Vah sleep for a minute before thinking, _I guess she's just one more person we need to rescue._ She promised herself that, no matter what, she would keep the little girl safe.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **TAYLOR**_

He had somehow convinced Josh to go to the Youth Center with him. A new girl was working at the counter, and Taylor sensed something in her energy. "She's Eltarian..." He whispered to Josh.

"Is she one of the Rebels?" Josh whispered back.

"I don't know... I've never seen her before..."

The new girl approached them with a smile. "What can I get for you?" She asked.

Taylor decided to try and figure out if she was a friend or a foe. "Hey, you're new, right?"

"Yeah, it's my first day," she replied.

"What an unusual spelling of Charlie," Josh said, apparently reading her name tag. Taylor looked at it, too. _Charleigh..._ He read. If his dyslexia wasn't acting up, he was pretty sure that wasn't how the name was spelled, but he could be wrong.

Charleigh laughed. "It's short for Charlotte Leigh," she explained. "No one really calls me that."

"It's pretty, though... I'm Josh, and this is Taylor."

"Nice to meet you."

"So, what brings you to Angel Grove?" Taylor asked.

"My dad got a new job. He's the Headmaster of the new Air Force Academy."

Taylor wondered if her father was Eltarian, too. He was very suspicious of her story. After all, it was a little _too_ convenient that a new Eltarian had shown up in town. He tried to remember the Rebellion's mantras. _"Busy mada alebastes?"_ He asked aloud.

She blinked at him. "I'm sorry?" She asked.

"It's _bizzeh,_ " Josh said. "But you were close."

"Okay, so my Eltarian sucks... What are you _really_ doing on Earth, Charleigh?" Taylor asked.

Josh looked stunned at his bluntness. _You think he'd be used to that by now,_ Taylor thought.

"Taylor, I have _no_ idea what you're talking about," Charleigh said politely.

"He's joking," Josh said quickly, shooting Taylor a look that said _play along._

"Oh... Okay, so, are you guys going to order anything?"

"I'll take an avocado shake," Josh said.

"And for you, Taylor?"

"Strawberry banana," Taylor replied.

Charleigh smiled. "Coming right up!" She walked away to blend their shakes.

"Taylor, I don't think she's lying," Josh said. "She has no idea she's Eltarian."

"How?" Taylor wondered.

"I don't know, but it's obvious she didn't understand what you said. Maybe she's adopted."

"It _can't_ be a coincidence that she's here," Taylor said. Still, he didn't push her any further after that. When he and Josh finished their shakes, they left the Youth Center. They didn't get very far before trouble arrived.

The Golden Army surrounded them. "Josh... I know you're having issues, but I _really_ need you to morph right now," Taylor said. "Can you do it?"

Josh took a deep breath. "It's Morphin' Time!" He declared. "Triceratops!"

Seeing Josh back in action made Taylor smile. He closed his eyes, summoning his Chosen armor. Together, they battled back-to-back. Taylor and Josh actually worked well together. They were both able to anticipate what the other needed without voicing it aloud. Still, things were getting bad.

"We need backup, and _fast,"_ Taylor said.

"Zordon, we're under attack about three blocks East of the Youth Center. It's just Taylor and me against the Golden Army. We need help," Josh said into his communicator.

"We shall alert the others," Taylor heard Zordon reply. A chorus of panicking Alphas could be heard in the background.

Suddenly, Taylor spotted a new threat. The Alchemist showed herself, and the Warlock was right behind her. Both looked ready to kick things up a notch or twenty. "Oh, shit..." He mumbled. "We are _so_ screwed."

The Golden Army multiplied. It was as if the soldiers had cloned themselves. They approached from every angle, and soon, the attack knocked Josh out of his morph. Taylor's armor failed as he took several hits at once trying to get to Josh. The soldiers kept coming. Taylor knew there was no way out of this ambush. He shielded Josh with his body as the soldiers all moved in for the kill at once.

 _ **CHARLEIGH**_

She'd just finished her shift at work. Charleigh was walking toward her new home when she heard a lot of commotion. Curiosity got the better of her, and she walked toward the sound. What she saw startled her.

"It's... It's some sort of army..." She realized aloud. Then, she spotted Josh and Taylor, the only people aside from her father that she sort of knew in Angel Grove. They were trapped in the middle of the army. It was very clear they were about to be killed.

Charleigh reacted quickly, attacking the Golden Soldiers. She kicked one and it fell apart instantly. Considering they appeared to be made of solid gold, this stunned her, but she kept going. More and more soldiers fell apart. She still hadn't reached Josh and Taylor when several of the soldiers moved to stab them with golden swords at once.

"No!" Charleigh screamed. "Stop it!"

The soldiers stopped mid-motion, frozen like statues. Charleigh stared at them in confusion before saying, "Get _away_ from them!"

The soldiers moved in unison away from the boys. "Charleigh... _How_ are you doing that?" Taylor asked.

"I don't know! I guess they're made to take orders?" Charleigh replied.

"They've never listened before," Josh said.

Several people arrived. They wore strange suits Charleigh had only ever seen on the news before. "The Power Rangers..." She said in awe. The soldiers refocused their attack on the new arrivals.

A woman who radiated an intense, dark power came toward them. She waved her hand and sent Josh and Taylor flying backward in unison. "Who _are_ you?" She demanded of Charleigh. "How did you command my army?"

"I don't know... Why were you attacking two defenseless teenagers?" Charleigh countered.

"They are _not_ defenseless, Foolish Girl! They are a Power Ranger and a member of the Chosen. State your business here, Eltarian."

"Okay, people keep dropping that word around me, but I have no idea what it means."

"Do not play games with _me,_ Child!" She grabbed Charleigh by the throat and lifted her into the air. Charleigh was certain she was going to die when she felt her necklace pop out from under her shirt. The woman dropped her in surprise and stared at her. " _Where_ did you get that?" She demanded.

The man who'd been watching all of this came closer now and also stared at her. "E... _Alchemist,"_ He said, seeming to catch himself. "Is that...?"

"Answer me, Child!" The Alchemist demanded.

"I... It was my mother's. Her friend gave it to me after she died," Charleigh replied quickly.

"Charlotte Leigh?" The Alchemist asked softly.

"How do you know my name?" Charleigh demanded.

"Impossible..." The Alchemist shook her head. Then, she looked worried. "You should not be here, Charlotte Leigh. It is not safe for you." She reached toward her cautiously, touching the locket. "Do you understand what is happening here?"

"I already _told_ you I don't."

"You are not human. You were born on Earth, but your parents were from a planet called Eltar, as are we. You have sorcery, as did your mother... However, you also possess a very rare, very special gift which she did not... _Alchemy._ That is why my army responded to you." She sighed. "Tell _no one_ of this, Charlotte Leigh. It shall put you in great peril." She turned to the man. "Warlock, please tend to her wounds." She walked away.

The Warlock knelt beside Charleigh. "Your mother was a brave woman," he said.

"You guys knew my mom? And you think she was some sort of witch?"

" _Sorceress,_ not witch. She was also a member of the Rebellion of Eltar." He began healing her with magic.

 _Holy crap, I fell into a comic book,_ Charleigh thought. What was going on? How did everyone have magic? Had her mom really had super powers? Sure, she idolized _Captain Marvel_ because the character reminded her of her mom, but that had always been _without_ supernatural powers. It seemed her mother might share more in common with the character than she thought.

"My mom was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. She died on a top secret mission when I was five. She wasn't a sorceress, or an Eltarian, or anything else."

"Charlotte Leigh-"

"It's _Charleigh_ ," she said cautiously. For some reason, she trusted him.

"Charleigh... Your mother was extraordinary... But she was betrayed. You need to understand you are not safe here. Keep her locket. It possesses a powerful protection charm we cast ourselves... And find her armor. Your father would have kept it. Listen carefully... A powerful spell was cast to make the Rebellion forget you and your father. The Alchemist was unaffected, which shielded me from the effects as well... Now, however, your powers have awakened. The spell shall soon be broken for the others. You must learn to control your gifts or you will perish." He gently cleaned up the last of her injuries. "Go on, Charleigh. Tell your father what happened today. He can assist you." With that, he vanished. So did the Golden Army and the Alchemist.

"Pity. We got here a little late," a girl said. "I was looking for a good fight."

"See if anyone needs medical attention, B'Danna, and alert Tedius," a familiar voice said.

"Of course, Captain," B'Danna said.

Charleigh looked at him in surprise. "Uncle Cap?" She asked.

Captain Smith stared at her. "Charleigh? My goodness, _look_ at you! You look so much like your mother... What are you doing here?"

"Dad just got a new job. He's the Headmaster of the new Air Force Academy here. He was going to call once we settled in. What are you doing out of New York, Uncle Cap?"

"Did you just call Captain Smith 'Uncle Cap'?" Taylor asked as he and Josh reached her.

"No one ever called him by a first name, not even my parents. I actually thought his name was Captain when I was little," Charleigh said with a laugh. "He's an old family friend."

"But you didn't know you were Eltarian?" Josh asked.

"No... But the Alchemist and the Warlock said it, too... So what's going on?"

Captain Smith frowned. "They should not have recognized you," he said.

"They said they knew my mom... Uncle Cap, _please,_ tell me the truth."

He sighed. "Let me call your father. Then, I promise, the three of us will talk."

Charleigh nodded. She trusted Captain Smith... But this entire situation was pretty crazy. She hoped it would start making sense soon.

 _ **FELINA**_

She watched as Andie sat with the child. She sang the lullaby and played with the girl and smiled at her. A'Vah spoke almost no English and even her Eltarian vocabulary was limited. As Andie communicated with the girl in Eltarian, Felina knew Daphne was helping her remember the language. Andie was incredibly patient with the child, doting on her as any mother would.

"I suppose you'll throw _her_ away when you tire of her as well," Felina finally snapped.

Andie looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"As if you don't know, _Daphne."_

"You _know_ I'm not Daphne. You've used my name before."

"You might as _well_ be. You are speaking nearly fluent Eltarian. You dote on the child as if she is your own."

"She's a _kid,_ Felina. She needs _someone._ As for speaking Eltarian, it's just sort of coming back to me as I go. She doesn't know much English at all."

"You nurture an abandoned girl who is not your kin... The last time you did that, you threw her away like trash."

"What are you _talking_ about?"

"I _know_ you made Zell give me away, Daphne! You didn't want the burden of raising someone else's child!"

Andie looked like she'd slapped her. That was when her eyes shifted. They looked horrified at her words. "Felina..." she said softly. Felina realized it was no longer Andie speaking. For the first time in millennia, she'd come fully face-to-face with Daphne herself.

"You took me in... Trained me... Showed me kindness... And then you simply abandoned me to _strangers!_ Strangers who could _never_ understand me!" Felina felt millennia of rage and pain rushing to the surface.

"I _never_ sent you away, Felina," Daphne said. "I wanted to keep you... I _loved_ having a little girl in my home... Zell insisted it was inappropriate for us to keep you. He found you a kind family... Still, letting you go was incredibly difficult for me."

"You are _lying!_ Zell _never_ would have sent me away. But he did it to appease _you!_ No matter how hard I try... No matter how loyal I am... He only sees _you._ It will _always_ be you!" She screamed. She had tears in her eyes. Felina had not truly cried in millennia. She could not stop now.

Daphne got closer to her. She gently reached toward her. "You were a sweet, innocent little girl," she said. "I wanted to raise you, Felina. I cared for you deeply."

Part of Felina desperately wanted to accept Daphne's comforting presence... The last stubborn shard of the fragile, frightened child she'd once been... Felina shoved Daphne away from her instead. She turned and ran from the room, unwilling to let Daphne see how vulnerable and weak she had become.

Felina was still crying as she ran toward her room. Instead of arriving there, she found herself in Laby's personal labyrinth. He looked at her and said, "I thought you might need a friend... Want a soda?"

She shook her head. "You wrecked your makeup," he said as he passed her a tissue. "You're still gorgeous, though, so don't worry."

Felina blew her nose. Laby began cleaning her face with a wet cloth. He smiled. "You pull off the natural look well, Felina," he said soothingly. "So... Do you want to talk about it?"

Felina surprised herself as much as Laby when she said, "He'll _never_ love me, Laby... No matter _what_ I do... I'll never be good enough... I was simply a placeholder, and he has _her_ back now... He doesn't need me anymore."

"He needs you, Felina... You're his most loyal minion... But _you_ don't need _him._ You can be _so_ much more than this." He hugged her, and Felina allowed it. "He can't love you... You're right... Because he can't love _anyone."_

"He loves _her."_

"He's _obsessed_ with her. That's _not_ love... And yeah, she gets closer than anyone else... She's _Daphne._ All of Eltar loved her... But if he truly loved her, he wouldn't have been able to kill her."

"I just... I wanted to be everything to him, the way she is. I have done _everything_ he ever wanted... Killed, manipulated... Betrayed." She shook her head, more tears falling. "I turned Raff into a monster on his order... We did not always get along, but Raff was still the closest thing I had to family for all that time... I cared about him, Laby... And I respected how hard he fought against things like rape... But I summoned a _vizu,_ repeatedly, to drive him mad. I set it in motion in the past, and it just grew... He continued to lose his mind... To lose the things which made him _Raff..._ He began abusing Insu, which he'd never intended to do. The _vizu_ made him take his rage out on her, even though he loved her dearly. And later... He raped Allie, brutally, using his power to make her feel it all... I never thought he would go that far... I never intended for him to hurt Allie, or Insu... He turned into the thing he hated the most because of me."

Laby should have been angry, but he didn't attack her. Instead, he asked, "After everything that happened in Tiger's Bluff... You exposed him to a _vizu?"_ He sighed. "We all make bad choices, Felina... I'm just glad your Chapter was luckier than mine."

"It was all for nothing... Even now, he does not care for me..." She sighed as fresh tears began to fall.

"Okay... It's a movie night," Laby declared.

"What?" Felina asked.

"You're staying with me today. We'll watch movies and eat unhealthy food and drink a ton of soda. It'll help relieve the stress."

"He'll be angry-"

"He can kiss my ass. You're one of my oldest friends and I want to spend time with you." He tucked some of her hair behind her ear before kissing her cheek.

"Laby... Thank you," she said after a moment. "For still caring about me, even with all I have done."

"You aren't getting rid of me _that_ easily," he said cheerfully. "Let's watch some assholes get slaughtered by a murderer trapped in what is essentially a _My Buddy_ doll." He popped _Child's Play_ into the DVD player.

She sat beside him on the couch, focusing only on his company and the bloody horror movie. Felina had to admit, it was comforting to be in Laby's sanctuary. It was the one place where she could show weakness without fear of judgment or punishment.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **MERRICK**_

He loathed funerals. Merrick had seen too much death in his long lifetime. Still, he stood stoically in the back of the cemetery in Reefside. Sage had come out of her seclusion to pay her respects. Everyone on their side who was currently in Angel Grove had taken the trip, including the Rebels, who kept a respectful distance from the others. Due to this, B'Danna naturally gravitated toward him. No one was paying enough attention to find it odd they were together. The secret of the new Wild Force team was still being guarded, so they needed to be careful.

"Are you holding up alright?" B'Danna asked him.

"I did not know him well, but I know he was a good man... His death alone might not have brought me back before I was summoned... However, Kira's grief was so powerful, it reached me even with how far I was. It saddens me deeply to see her in such pain," he replied.

"What's your tie to Kira?"

"During the last battle, it was Kira who sensed the slightest slither of life still within me... I looked dead. I nearly _was_ dead... She came up with a brilliant way to save me, even though it was madness. She asked Sage to summon a very powerful, very evil entity I was tied to for a long time... Zen-Aku... And she asked him to save me. I do not believe most others would have tried something so risky. Zen-Aku and I have remained connected, and we do help each other, but he could have betrayed the Rangers. I was weak and could not have stopped him. Luckily, he simply saved me and moved on." Merrick paused. "Afterward, Kira was by my side. She and Sage both checked in on me as the Rangers grieved our fallen, but Sage had her hands full with her son's nearly crippling depression, so she could only do so much and I would not ask for her help. It was Kira who encouraged me to mourn and to reach out to her if I needed anything. She checked in on me even after I left. She is very dear to me."

"Denni thought you sensed she was in danger and that's what brought you here."

"That was only part of it, but yes, I also came out of concern for Denni and Marco. As much as I fight the idea of being on yet another team, you all need my guidance. You are still so young."

" _They_ are young," B'Danna said.

"By Eltarian standards, you are not much older than they are, B'Danna. However, I will grant you that your understanding of battle and war is far more than what they possess. You are no naive child. I worry most for Marco..."

"He'll be okay. We'll keep him safe."

Merrick nodded. The service began and they both fell into a respectful silence. Hayley spoke of what a kind, brave person Trent had been, and how he'd been her favorite employee as a teenager. Ethan rambled about their adventures as a team and tried to slip in sarcasm every once in a while to lighten the mood. Conner broke down in tears and couldn't finish his eulogy, so Denni ended up pulling him into her arms and leading him back to the crowd. Tommy had tears streaming down his cheeks as well, but he kept speaking, telling everyone how special Trent had been to him. The two had understood each other because of the whole formerly evil Power Ranger bond.

Kira had her guitar when she walked up for her turn. She took a deep breath and said nothing before she began playing her guitar. Merrick watched her closely, feeling her pain as she performed.

 _"Oh, oh... Yeah, yeah... I was thinking of your smile, and everything we held dear, oh... If I saw you again, I'd ask, why'd you have to go and play the he-ro? You'd say, you know that's just what we do. Yeah, we hug and we kiss and we laugh and we live and when the time comes, we must fight... Gotta do what's right... Do what's right... In my heart, I know it's true, but it's hell being here without you... I miss you... I mi-i-i-i-i-i-iss you... So I screamed to anyone who'd hear, and I broke down in tears, and I know you're no longer here, realizing all my worst fears... I'm mad but I understand... I'm shattered, but I'll be alright... I don't need anyone to hold my hand... There's still a battle to fight... Yeah, we hug and we kiss and we laugh and we live and when the time comes, we must fight... Gotta do what's right... Do what's right... So I'll just say this as your swan song plays... I'll never forget you or those better days... I know in my heart you will always stay. A bond like ours never goes away... And I love you... Yes, I love you... Always..."_

She finished with a few final strums of her guitar. Without a word, she returned to her previous spot beside Conner, Ethan, Hayley, and Tommy as the mourners applauded. Dustin held her from behind.

Even B'Danna looked emotional. Merrick studied her. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"That song..." B'Danna shook her head. "It could have been about Draze... I understand what Kira is feeling."

Merrick had never seen the Eltarian warrior look so vulnerable. He reached toward her and squeezed her hand for a moment. B'Danna looked surprised, but she nodded. She understood that Merrick also knew what it was to grieve so deeply.

After the funeral, the Rangers gathered to eat together. Kimberly had insisted on cooking and there was enough food to feed an army, which Merrick supposed was what they were.

"Hey, Merrick," Maddie greeted him with a warm smile. Zeke stood beside her and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Hello Maddie... Zeke," Merrick replied politely. It was strange to pretend the new Wild Force team did not exist, but they kept things cordial in public and trained in secret during whatever stolen moments they could find. Merrick trusted the other Power Rangers, of course, but he knew it was vital to protect the secret.

"It's good to see you, Merrick," Zeke said. He offered him a quick smile of his own. Merrick knew Zeke had a hard time with Ranger funerals because he, like Merrick, had nearly been one of the dead during the last big battle. Unlike Merrick, who had been so close to death it was nearly impossible to tell he was still alive, Zeke _had_ actually died, but Casey had given him an option to go back, and he'd accepted her offer. In a way, Merrick and Zeke understood each other because of this.

Merrick watched everyone and sensed something in the wind… Trouble was coming. Soon, something major was going to happen, and they needed to be prepared. He wondered what it was he was sensing and frowned.

"Is everything okay?" Maddie asked, noticing the change in him.

"I'm not sure yet," Merrick admitted. "I sense… _Something._ I can't be certain what it is."

Maddie shifted gears impressively fast. Her inner warrior was in charge now. "Is there trouble nearby?" She asked.

"I don't think so… Not yet, anyway… Sometimes, I just sense things in the air. I'm sure it is nothing we need to worry about in this moment. Excuse me." He nodded at Maddie and Zeke respectfully before walking away. Suddenly, Merrick was positive it was a good thing he had returned to Angel Grove. He had a feeling the other Rangers were going to need him sooner rather than later.

 _ **FELINA**_

Zell was displeased with her. That was evident as soon as he cornered her in her room. "You have been having doubts, Felina," he said firmly.

She stared at him in surprise. "Never, my Lord," she said quickly.

"What have I _told you_ about lying to me?" He demanded.

"I… I am sorry, my Lord… However, I am loyal… You _know_ this."

"You have been pulling away from me… In fact, after I sent you to care for Sharon, you had a powerful reaction to what I had done to her."

"It was not disloyalty, my Lord," she promised. "I was simply a bit bothered by the attack… Sharon is…" She sighed.

"Sharon is much like you were when I saved you. I know."

"She reminds me of that weak, frightened child, my Lord… I suppose a part of me feels the need to protect the girl."

"I understand, my dear… However, your disloyal thoughts have not been limited to Sharon's treatment… You have been questioning my decisions for quite some time… And now… You have considered _abandoning_ me."

"No… No, of _course_ I haven't!" She was panicking now. She'd been having her doubts, certainly, but Felina knew she could never leave Zell. She was too loyal to him, and she had no idea who she was without him.

Without warning, Zell grabbed Felina by the throat. His grip was tight as he began to choke her. She struggled automatically, so he tightened his hold even more. In theory, there was only one entity in the world who could kill Felina and it wasn't Zell, but he'd given her the immortality to begin with. He could easily strip it from her. As everything began to go a bit dark, Zell loosened his grip. Felina struggled to breathe. Zell allowed her to regain some of her senses before he started to choke her all over again.

Never in all of the time she had been loyal to him had Zell been so physically violent toward her. While he easily turned on the others, he had always treated Felina gentler. He had rescued her from unspeakable abuse when she was too young to fend for herself, and it seemed he never fully got past viewing her as a helpless child. Now, however, she was facing the sort of torture he reserved for those who angered him the most.

As Zell again allowed her to breathe before strangling her again, something unexpected happened… Someone attacked him.

"Get the hell _off_ of her!" A voice shouted.

Someone had jumped between Zell and Felina. The person used the shock of this to forcibly shove Zell away from Felina. He reacted by trying to attack Felina again. The person did not allow this, and she kicked him in the groin, causing him to fall backward.

"Are you okay?" The person asked.

Felina stared at the person who'd saved her from her "savior." She could not believe what she was seeing. It was Andie.

"Felina… _Are you okay?"_ Andie asked more urgently.

Felina couldn't figure out how to speak. Her throat hurt and she was in shock. She nodded slowly. Andie stayed between her and Zell as he began to stand up.

"You _dare_ to lay a hand on me?" Zell demanded. His rage radiated off of him. Felina was positive he was going to slaughter both of them. To her surprise, Andie shielded her from another attack with her own body.

"How _could_ you, Daphne?" He demanded. He grabbed Andie by her hair and pulled her harshly away from Felina. She could hear Andie struggling against him as he dragged her off somewhere.

"Andie…" Felina croaked out. Her body was still in a state of physical shock and she couldn't go after her. Even if she could have, it would only have made things worse for the girl.

 _She saved me…_ Felina thought in confusion. _After everything I have put that girl through, she_ still _saved me… Daphne wasn't lying… She didn't throw me away… It was him…_

Something about this realization gave Felina the strength to fight. She slowly stood up, trying to gather her senses. That was when Laby came running toward her.

"Jesus Christ… What did he _do_ to you?" Laby asked. He tried to examine her, but Felina pulled away.

"Andie…" She croaked out.

"What?"

Felina used some of her magic to heal her throat. It would probably be bruised for a bit, but she could speak easier. "He has Andie, Laby… She… She tried to help me. She saw him attacking me and got between us."

"Shit… Where did he take her, Felina?"

"I don't know… If I did, I'd tell you."

He nodded. "I believe you. Look, get somewhere safe. It looks like it's time to plan our great escape."

Felina nodded and walked away, desperately trying to make sense of why the girl she'd tormented for the better part of the last year would suddenly be going out of her way to help her.

 _ **LABY**_

He knew things were bad now. Laby tried not to panic as he reached out to the energy he'd recently detected. _Sera… Keizos…_ He hesitated before adding, _Celestia… If you guys are really out there… We need help. Immediately._

The existence of another aspect of Serafine didn't surprise him. Daphne and Serafine tended to reincarnate in multiple places at a time. Different pieces of their souls ended up in different places. Keizos and Celestia, however, had come as a shock. Celestia had been Laby's cousin. She and Keizos had been murdered, probably by Zell, shortly after Daphne died. He hadn't seen either of them in a while because Celestia's parents had distanced her from him after the scandal of Serafine's death, not wanting to be even vaguely associated with her or Ash. Still, when Celestia died, he'd felt it. He'd already been psychologically broken, having lost not only Sera and Ash but their baby sister, so he didn't really have to ability to react at the time, but her loss had devastated him even further. He'd snapped, letting out a cry of grief but being unable to explain to his parents why he had become even more upset.

Officially, on paper, Keizos had murdered Celestia and then killed himself using his own dark magic. Keizos had always been feared by the superstitious people of Eltar, while Celestia had been revered as the "Star Princess" of prophecy. Together, they could lead anyone out of the darkness and back into the light. Celestia's mere existence inspired joy in people, including the clinically depressed Keizos. He'd been deeply devoted to her, and Laby knew damn well he'd have hurt her about as much as Ash would have hurt Serafine, but there was no way to prove Zell was lying. Everyone on Eltar had easily believed him.

Now, for the first time in a long time, Laby felt their souls, and they were walking the Earth. He knew if anyone could get past the labyrinth the Warlock had on the property, it was Keizos and Celestia. He also knew the aspect of Serafine who was with them was older than Darcy and had quickly learned to control all of Serafine's powers… Ones Darcy didn't even know she had yet. Zell would not see an aspect of Serafine who lived in another realm coming, and he certainly wouldn't expect her to bring Keizos and Celestia with her.

"Please work…" He mumbled. If they didn't come, he'd have to get everyone out on his own. He made a mental checklist of everyone he knew would need to be rescued. _Andie… Lachlan… Kenny… Sharon… A'Vah… Felina…_ He debated adding Callie to the list, but the girl seemed pretty content to stay with the Alliance for now. He also knew there was a good chance that, even with everything that had happened, Felina would refuse to join them.

Laby felt a subtle disruption in the magic of the labyrinth. Suddenly, three people appeared. "Hi, Laby," the aspect of Serafine said. "I'm Scarlet. These two are more Keizos and Celestia than their reincarnations right now, so just call them that."

He nodded at her. "Thanks for coming," he said. "I definitely need backup. Things just got serious… He's taken Andie… Who happens to be Daphne."

Rage flashed on Scarlet's face. "I've got her. Round up everyone we're bringing with us, Laby. I'll do my best to distract him… And I'll destroy this place if I have to. Keizos, Celestia, help him get everyone together. Laby will fill you in on whatever you need to know."

Keizos nodded. Celestia looked at Laby and smiled. "Hey, Laby," she greeted him.

Laby almost burst into tears. Instead, he reminded himself that they were in a very serious battle and he needed to focus. "Hey, Little Cousin," he replied. His voice shook a bit, but he kept most of his composure.

"Let's go," Keizos said. Laby nodded and led them down the hall in search of the people they needed to find.

 _ **THE ALCHEMIST**_

The protection spells were starting to shatter, and the Alchemist knew trouble was coming. "We have to leave immediately," she told the Warlock. "This structure will not hold." She could already feel the building reacting to the magic begin tossed around. Their latest base of operations was about to be destroyed. She began sending all of her belongings into a pocket realm to be retrieved later. The Warlock followed suit.

They stopped in the hallway as they heard Felina speaking to someone. "What are you doing here? You're not from this realm," she was saying.

"I came to help… Look, Felina, I know your story," a woman replied. The Alchemist realized she was an aspect of Serafine almost immediately. "I've communicated with you in dreams, but you never remember… I'm Scarlet, and my soul is Serafine. You have to come with us when we leave or he'll kill you."

"I cannot," Felina said firmly.

"Felina-"

"I cannot face them… The other Rebels… Or Andie… Not after what she just did for me. Save her, Scarlet. _Please."_

"I intend to."

"I do not understand why she saved me… Why she would do something so _foolish_! She _knew_ he'd attack her for such an act, yet she still interfered… For _me_ … And now, he's going to hurt her."

"I promise I'll help her… But Felina, let me help you, too."

"Worry about the others… And, please, take Sharon with you. The girl will not survive long if she remains with the Alliance."

"Laby's getting everyone he can together. I'll get her out of here."

"Thank you… Be careful."

"You can't stay here, Felina. This building will come down by the time I'm done here."

"I am leaving… I shall remain on my own."

"That's a start… But I'd really prefer you go to the Rebels before he finds you."

"I am rather good at surviving on my own, and it will take time for the Alliance to find each other. He will assume I am caught up in surviving and escaping and not question where I am for a time."

Scarlet seemed to realize she couldn't waste any more time arguing. "Just get to safety. Alright?"

"Felina has betrayed him…" The Warlock said in surprise as Felina walked away.

"It is about _time_ she think for herself," the Alchemist said.

"Should we alert him?"

"No. It took Felina a long time to get here. Let her have her moment. It is not our concern. Come… We must hurry."

"Are we leaving the others?"

"Yes. They must fend for themselves now. We will find those who survive when it is safe."

Together, the Alchemist and the Warlock fled.

 _ **ANDIE**_

She had never seen Zell quite so furious before. He slammed her against the wall a few times and her head started to hurt. Her vision was blurry. He began choking her, and panic kicked in again.

 _Isobel… I_ need _you to get between me and Daphne,_ Andie thought. Isobel was going to be the calmest one in this situation and she needed a clear head.

Isobel had almost gained control when Zell kissed Andie hard on her lips. This brought Daphne back toward the surface. Andie felt sick. She tried to get away from him, but she couldn't. Zell pinned her arms above her head with one hand and began tearing at her shirt with the other.

"No!" She shouted. "Don't you fucking _touch_ me!"

"You are my _wife,_ Daphne! It is time you remembered your place!" He shouted in response.

Andie spit in his face because it was the only thing she was physically capable of with the way he had her pinned. This angered him enough that he slapped her. She'd been hoping for that response. It meant he'd let her hands go. Andie shifted and kicked him hard in the groin again. He screamed and recovered too quickly this time. He punched her hard in the face, and she was certain he'd shattered her cheekbone. He slammed her head against the ground before pinning her down on the floor.

This, unfortunately, triggered a violent flashback. Suddenly, Andie knew _every_ detail of the night Daphne had died… The night Zell had strangled her repeatedly, beaten her, and done even worse in front of their six-year-old son.

 _He raped her…_ Andie realized with horror. Sure, Zell had called it something much more romantic than that as he insisted they should "be together" a final time before he had to kill her, but Daphne had tried to fight him. She hadn't wanted this anymore than Andie did now. And Zordon… Poor, innocent little Zordon, had been forced to watch it all…

 _I am_ not _dying today,_ Andie insisted stubbornly in her head. This mantra had saved her life before, when her father had tried to kill her, and again when she'd faced mortal peril as a Power Ranger. She would not give up, no matter what… And she had no intention of giving in and letting Zell take what he wanted from her without one hell of a fight.

Even with her fighting, Zell was making progress. He'd torn her shirt open. He was struggling with the zipper of her jeans. Andie kept kicking and fighting, the panic of an abusive childhood fueling her will to survive and escape. She was severely injured and the more she fought, the worse her injuries became, but she'd managed to keep him from accomplishing his goal so far. Finally, when he managed to unzip himself, she knew she was out of time.

She was certain she'd lost the fight when a loud sound filled the room. Andie felt incredible heat… Something was on fire.

Zell screamed in pain and jumped away from her. Even in her shock and panic, Andie realized his pants were smoking. Someone had set him on fire. Looking up, she realized it hadn't been _someone_ , but _something_.

 _Dragons?_ She thought in confusion. _It must be the concussion…_

"Did you _miss me,_ you son of a bitch?" A woman demanded.

"Belladonna…" Zell hissed.

Andie was even more confused now. This woman wasn't Darcy, yet she felt very much like Serafine. She knew Zell wasn't wrong about who she was. Daphne seemed to recognize her, too, and her emotions suddenly overwhelmed Andie. She curled up in a ball on the floor, in too much pain to do much else, and struggled to focus on what was happening around her.

"It's _Scarlet,_ actually," the woman corrected Zell. Scarlet was _clearly_ a badass. In a lot of ways, she reminded Andie of Darcy with how she carried herself, but it seemed her magic was a lot stronger. Considering Darcy packed a hell of a punch, that said a lot.

The dragons were setting everything on fire. Scarlet was casting spells to keep Zell from being able to do much of anything. He grew more and more frustrated and seemed to forget Andie was even in the room. He was too busy trying to counter all of Scarlet's magic.

While the dragons kept him distracted, Scarlet knelt beside Andie. "Holy shit… That bastard…" She mumbled. She reached toward Andie. Andie automatically recoiled, not wanting to be touched, even by someone who felt like Serafine.

A girl Andie didn't know suddenly appeared. "Let me calm her," she said. Then, she approached Andie. Much to Andie's surprise, she didn't feel threatened, and as the girl touched her arm gently, it instantly soothed her. "It's okay… I'm Celestia. Daphne knew me… I was one of Lido's only other friends… And Laby is my cousin."

Andie nodded slowly, trying to process all of that. She couldn't find words, especially since Daphne was extremely close to the surface now.

"Please let Scarlet heal you, okay? You'll feel much better when you do," Celestia said patiently. Again, Andie nodded. "She should be okay now," Celestia told Scarlet.

Scarlet was a bit gentler this time. "It's okay, Daphne," she said soothingly. It was clearly Serafine in control of her body. "You're safe now, Baby Sister… I will not let him harm you again."

Recognizing Serafine, Daphne took control. She began sobbing hysterically in Scarlet's arms. "Sera…" She managed to choke out.

"Shhh… I'm here. It's alright. Let me heal you."

"He… He tried to… To…" Daphne couldn't say the words.

Scarlet seemed to notice her torn shirt then. She took off her jacket and wrapped it around Andie. "It's over. You're safe. I won't let him hurt you," she said.

"He did it before… He… He made Zordon _watch_ as he…" Daphne became hysterical again. "He was just a _baby!"_

"Shhhh, Daphne…" Scarlet said soothingly as she healed her. Soon enough, although she was still in pain, Andie felt a bit better. She knew the concussion was healed and the worst of her injuries were gone.

"I'm sorry," Andie said softly, gaining control over her body again. "The attack… It triggered Daphne out. I swear I'm not a total mess most of the time."

"It's okay," Scarlet said. "Your name is Andie, right? I'm Scarlet, and I'm here to help. Laby let us know there was trouble." She looked at Celestia. "Get her to Laby. I'll find you guys in a few minutes."

Celestia nodded. "Come on, Andie," she said.

Andie stood. Her legs were shaking, but she found the strength to walk anyway, knowing they had to get out of there.

 _ **ZELL**_

The dragons had done an enormous amount of damage. His precious base of operations was going to be destroyed and there was nothing he could do to stop it at this point. He'd have to find a new one and start over.

The aspect of his Bella who called herself Scarlet continued to attack him with magic. She'd stopped briefly, and Zell hadn't noticed because of the dragons, but now he realized Daphne was gone. "Damn you, Bella!" He shouted.

"That's _not_ my fucking name, Asshole!" She shouted back.

"This is not your fight! You are from a different realm!"

"Well, Zell, seeing as how _you_ like to skip through the time line and cross into other realms for fun, I'm evening the odds. You were expecting Darcy, a teenager… _I_ decided to come play instead."

"You can only interfere so much. The Universe will not allow more."

"I don't _need_ to interfere more. This is enough. She's safe. They _all_ are." With that, she fired off another spell, knocking him back and stealing a good chunk of his energy. He was rapidly bleeding out precious energy and he knew he could no longer stay and fight. "Damn you…" He mumbled again. Then, he fled, using a small amount of energy to ensure some of the more important Alliance members escaped safely. He still needed them, after all.

The Alchemist and the Warlock had already escaped on their own. He couldn't detect Felina, so he assumed she must have escaped as well. Micah, Neighbelle, and Estos were valiantly trying to defend the base, so he teleported them out of the house. He didn't know where they would end up because he was too hurt to control it, but he knew they'd survive and find their way back to him. Jaybert was still safely at his other property, away from all of the chaos. Zell hadn't wanted to risk having him in the house around Laby. He quickly found Katherine and sent her to safety, knowing the others had Kenny and he wouldn't be able to get him back. He detected Bax, who was pinned beneath a heavy sculpture. He was literally helpless and would perish if not rescued, immortal or not. Zell was about to interfere when he sensed Zizanyah near Bax. She hesitated for a minute before seeming to realize Bax couldn't survive on his own. With a sigh, she moved the sculpture off of him. Zell was impressed with her strength, and also with her loyalty because he knew she disliked Bax quite a bit. He used some of his energy to get the two of them out of the house safely.

 _The Children…_ He thought. He could feel Sharon and Callie together. Sharon was panicking. Callie was trying to find a way out of the house with her. He was going to save them both when they vanished from his radar. Either Callie had found a way to escape, or someone had interfered. He hoped it was the former. He didn't want the children ending up in anyone else's clutches.

He had very little energy left. The Rangers of the Flame were still in the house panicking and trying to find a way to escape. "How unfortunate," Zell mumbled. He didn't want to waste the last of his energy saving the Rangers. "I shall make new ones later," he decided practically. With that, he vanished outside of the time line so he could recover.

 _ **KENDALL**_

She was desperately trying to find an escape route for the Rangers of the Flame. "We cannot leave. Our orders are to protect this place in a crisis," Hunter argued with her.

"Hunter, the entire building is going to collapse," Kendall pointed out. "If we stay, we're all going to die."

"Great Zell will rescue us," Riley said.

"I don't think he will this time," Kendall argued.

A piece of the roof came down toward Maya. She jumped back, but still got injured as it landed on her shoulder. "Another half a second and it would have been your _head_ ," Damon commented.

"Hunter, there is no time to argue," Kendall insisted. "We need to _leave. Now._ "

"We're going to die," Maya said as Kendall tried to patch up her shoulder. "Great Zell has abandoned us! I don't feel him anywhere!"

"I'm sure he'll save us any second now," Hunter insisted.

It was Felina who appeared in front of them instead of Zell. "Felina… He left you behind as well?" Kendall asked in surprise.

"You are not safe here, Rangers of the Flame," Felina said instead of answering her. "Go on." She opened up a portal. "Find him when it is safe."

"Yes! See? We're saved," Riley said. He and Hunter led the way out. Maya was struggling to walk, so Damon helped her through the portal. Finally, Kendall headed toward it, but Felina grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Not you," Felina said.

"What? Have I done something to offend Great Zell?" Kendall asked.

"I couldn't risk trying to keep all of you from him… But he won't question one Ranger of the Flame not escaping," Felina said.

Kendall stared at her. "Are you going to kill me, Felina?" She asked.

"No, Miss Morgan," Felina said with a sigh. "I'm going to _save_ you." She dragged Kendall along with her as she hurried down the hall.

Laby stood with several others. Kendall took a head count. She didn't know three of the people present. Andie was there looking like she was trying not to go into shock. The tiny Aviary, A'Vah, was clinging to her hand in fear. Sharon sat beside a very unconscious Callie. Kenny was also unconscious. Lachlan stood over him protectively.

"What's going on?" Kendall demanded.

"We're leaving, Kendall," Andie said softly.

A new portal opened. "This is the best escape route," Felina said. "He will not be able to detect you if you exit through here."

"Felina? You've _betrayed_ Great Zell?" Kendall asked in shock.

"No," Felina said. "I've just made my own choice for once."

"Felina… Come with us," Laby begged.

"I can't, Laby," she said stubbornly.

"Please, Felina…" Andie said.

Felina couldn't even look her in the eye. "Go. Be safe. Do not concern yourselves with me." She opened up another portal on the other side of the wall and walked toward it. She waited for them to go through the first one.

"I will not betray Great Zell!" Kendall insisted.

One of the strangers touched her arm. "Miss Morgan… My name is Celestia," she said. "This is Keizos. We're going to help you… I know you don't want to be Zell's puppet. Let us work with you and I believe we can fix you."

"I don't _need_ to be fixed," Kendall said firmly.

"Kendall… You _aren't_ evil," Andie said. "I _know_ you. You're my friend… You're _Ivan's_ friend. Please let them help you. You're too smart to work for Zell. You know his plans are flawed… And deep down, you know this isn't who you are."

Kendall tensed. "Okay," she said after a moment. "They can try."

"That was surprisingly easy," Laby said.

"Kendall's nothing if not practical," Andie explained.

"Hurry," Felina said. "I cannot hold that portal for long."

Andie and Laby both looked pretty upset to leave Felina behind, which surprised Kendall. Still, they headed through the portal. When they reached the other side, Sage was waiting for them. Kendall was ready to attack when Celestia touched her arms again.

"Relax," she said soothingly.

"Hi Sage," the unidentified woman said. "I'm Scarlet. I figured you might be the best one to help your friend here." She motioned toward Kenny.

"Is he hurt?" Sage asked.

"No. I used a spell to knock him out so he wouldn't resist coming with us. He's fine, but he sort of thinks he's Katherine's son," Scarlet explained.

"That _bitch,"_ Sage mumbled. "I've got him… I've been saving up a ton of energy to go in and rescue everyone, but it seems like I ran out of time and you had to interfere… Thank you, by the way. I'll use the energy to help Kenny… I'll find a way to break the spell."

"Great. I'm only staying long enough for Keizos and Celestia to fix Kendall, then I need to get them back home."

"How did you guys get your hands on Kendall?"

"Felina."

" _Felina?"_

"She finally turned on Zell," Laby said. "But she refused to come with us."

Andie was shivering. "Sage… Since Kenny's still unconscious, would you mind calling Sir Ivan for Andie? I think she needs him right now," Scarlet said.

"Sure. He'll come in a heartbeat," Sage said. She pulled out her phone to make the call.

"Come on, Miss Morgan… Let's get started," Keizos said.

"There was a prophecy about us that said we'd lead the people of Eltar out of the darkness and into the light in their darkest hour," Celestia explained. "We think we might be able to reverse the effects of Zell's flames."

They set to work. Sage watched them with interest. At first, Kendall automatically resisted their efforts, but soon enough, she could feel her mind shifting. It was almost as if she was being led out of the dark void the flames had filled her with into the light. Her entire body seemed to react. Finally, her mind was clear. Kendall felt tears in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away.

"It worked…" Sage said in awe. "That was so _easy!_ How did you manage it?"

"It's what we were meant to do," Celestia replied. "Miss Morgan… Are you okay?"

Kendall nodded slowly. "I believe so…" She said.

"She's not even hysterical," Laby said with surprise. "Don't they usually freak out at first?"

"Kendall's not the freaking out type," Sage said, "but yes, this is usually an emotional process."

"I'm upset by what I did," Kendall admitted. "Horrified, really… But I know it wasn't my fault. I had no control over my actions because I wasn't myself… And somehow, I feel at peace about it."

"It's you, isn't it?" Laby asked Celestia. "You still cure Depression."

"I guess not much has changed," Celestia said with a smile.

Laby pulled her into a tight hug. "I was afraid to admit to myself that it's really you… But no one else could have done that, Little Cousin." He sighed. "Don't get killed on me, okay? I can't lose you again."

"I'm not going anywhere," she promised. He seemed to take comfort in her words. Kendall tried to relax as she processed everything that had just happened.

"Come on, guys," Scarlet said. "It's time to go." She took Keizos and Celestia and left.

 _ **IVAN**_

He spotted Andie as he arrived and it was like he could suddenly breathe again. He immediately ran to her. "M'Lady… Oh, _Andie_ … I was _so_ worried…" He said frantically. He looked her over and saw that she'd been injured severely. He suspected it had been worse than he thought and that many of her injuries had been healed. "I shall _slaughter_ the fiend for harming thee!"

"Ivan… I'm okay," Andie said softly. "Just… Just _hold_ me, okay?"

"Forever and always, M'Lady," Ivan promised. He pulled her into his arms, and they both relaxed slightly. He clung to her, taking in her scent and forcing his mind to process that he was truly holding her again as she leaned her head on his chest and listened to his heart beating. He knew it soothed her to do that, so he didn't say anything for a minute.

Kendall hesitated before slowly approaching them. "Sir Ivan…" She said softly.

He stiffened. "Miss Morgan…" He replied cautiously.

"I'm myself again, Ivan… And I'm terribly sorry for what I did to you."

Ivan relaxed then. "No apologies are necessary, M'Lady. I am well, as are you now, and that is all that matters."

Kendall looked relieved to hear those words. Ivan was simply thrilled she'd made it back from the darkness of the flames. Then, he thought of something. "Miss Morgan… Where is Riley?" He asked.

"He's still with them," Kendall replied sadly. "Felina could only risk saving one of the Rangers of the Flame. For whatever reason, she chose me."

"I am grateful for even that much, although I am confused as to why Felina would help you… She is a wretched woman who attacks us at every opportunity and-"

"Ivan… Stop," Andie said softly.

"M'Lady?" He asked in confusion.

"I saved her life tonight," Andie replied. "Zell was choking her… I couldn't just leave her in that situation."

"Your heart is _far_ too kind."

"I saw more of Felina than we ever have before, Ivan… She's not what we think she is. Zell's been grooming her since she was a child… I think she has Stockholm Syndrome."

"Pardon?"

"It's when someone is being abused or held against their will but they come to side with their captors in order to survive. Anyway, she helped us tonight. I know it sounds crazy, but Felina's on our side."

"Then why is she not here?"

"She's afraid to join us… But I know she'll do the right thing now, Ivan. I'm sure of it."

"You always see the good in people, M'Lady… Even when there is none to be seen."

"Ivan… She's right," Kendall said. "Zell left the Rangers of the Flame to die today. Felina saved us… And specifically got me help so I could be fixed. For all the evil she's done in the past, tonight, she was a hero."

Ivan sighed. "That is difficult for me to believe… But I shall try." He pulled Andie closer to him. "I am just grateful to have both you and Miss Morgan back."

Kenny started to stir. He immediately tried to attack Sage, who was stunned but reacted quickly, putting him back to sleep. "This is going to be a long process," Sage said with a sigh. "I'm taking him to the Reservation. There are places there where it will be safe to let him wake up so I can fix him."

"Was he turned as well?" Ivan asked in horror.

"No… Kenny's under Katherine's spell," Andie said. "He thinks she's his mother."

"Guys… Can we go home now? My parents must be worried sick," Lachlan said.

"I sort of put a spell on them so they wouldn't realize you were missing," Sage said apologetically. "But sure, go on home. I have to take Kenny, like I said. I'm glad you're safe, Lach. Micky's been flipping out, by the way. Even in my seclusion, I could feel him."

"Come on, Kid," Laby said. "I'll take you home."

"I should return to the team," Kendall said.

"They shall be relieved you see you," Ivan told her. "Allow me to take you back safely." He turned to Andie. "M'Lady… Would you prefer to remain with me or to see your sister?"

"I think I need to spend some time with you," Andie admitted. "Isobel needs to be closer to the surface, and you bring her out… Daphne's emotions are making it hard to function. I'll call Darcy and let her know I'm okay. She can tell the others… As long as you don't mind?"

"Never," Ivan said grandly. In all honesty, all he wanted was to keep Andie beside him and never let her out of his sight ever again.

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _The character of Scarlet belongs to Aura MacKenzie. Celestia and Keizos are two people featured in_ Tales from the Rebellion. _If you want to know their backstory in more detail, read the one-shot called_ Eclipse. _It's the seventh story in the fic. Also Charleigh's mother's story can be found in chapter twelve of that fic,_ Betrayal. _Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have to admit I kind of loved writing the battle of the Pink Turbo Rangers, LOL. I'd love to see that in real life. Anyway, there's plenty more to come! See you soon._


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

 _ **SAGE**_

She'd been working on trying to break her aunt's spell all night while Kenny slept. The problem was, his mind literally seemed to turn off entirely when he was not awake. He had no dreams. He didn't even seem to have any subconscious awareness. It was almost like Kenny ceased to exist when he wasn't awake. Even a Shaman couldn't reach someone if they didn't exist.

"Time to wake up, Kenny," Sage said with a sigh. She lifted her spell. Kenny slowly began to stir. "Morning, Sunshine," Sage said dryly.

"Sage... Stay _away_ from me!" Kenny cried, jerking away from her.

"Kenny, relax... I'm not going to hurt you," Sage said gently.

"You're all traitors! I _know_ the things you've done! You killed all the Rangers who wouldn't work for that monster Zordon!"

Sage was confused, but at least Kenny was talking. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"The fight at the hotel... When it came out how evil Zordon was and that he'd betrayed my grandfather... The Rangers served Zordon, and anyone who tried to join the Alliance was slaughtered... Nick... Dax... Your own _twin_ murdered Katie!"

Sage was stunned. Kenny hadn't really been able to say Katie's name since she'd betrayed them. "Thorn _had_ to, Kenny. She tried to kill you."

"You're so full of crap! Katie was my _best friend,_ Sage! She would _never_ hurt me. And I was powerless to do anything but watch her _die_ because of the Power Rangers!" His pain was clear, and Sage knew that part wasn't from the spell. Kat had allowed him to keep his grief with severely altered memories.

"Best friend... Don't you mean _sister?"_

"No... We were as close as siblings, but you know Katie was _Tommy's_ daughter." He spat out Tommy's name like a curse word. "She was your _cousin,_ Sage! How could you let your brother kill her?" Kenny had tears in his eyes, but he somehow didn't let them fall.

 _He has to feel it,_ Sage realized. _All of the confusing emotions Katie's betrayal and death brought out in him... It's a deep pain. It might snap him out of this if I can just hit the right nerve._ It seemed cruel, but it might be the only way to save him.

"Katie _was_ Tommy's daughter... But she was Aunt Kat's, too," Sage said.

"What game are you playing? Tommy married Kimberly after she stole him from my mother." He had no emotion as he said Kimberly's name. If anything, he seemed completely detached from it, like he didn't know who she was.

"Kenny... Kimberly is _your_ mother. You're extremely close to her. You protect her whenever you can, and she loves you so much that she left Mark the second she found out he hit you and not just her."

"Stop trying to trick me! Kimberly is _not_ my mother. She's Tommy's wife, and she's evil just like _he_ is. Your Shaman tricks won't work on me."

"I'm not trying to trick you, Kenny. I'm trying to _help_ you." She reached toward him. Kenny immediately reacted defensively, doing a tumbling pass to escape from her. She did not let this deter her as she tried again to reach him. Kenny continued to use his natural agility to evade her, moving quickly anytime she tried to get near him. He managed to get off of Reservation land, which Sage knew was too dangerous. She had to bring him back, and fast. He continued to throw impressive gymnastics tricks as he fled further. He did not attack, however, and Sage knew her friend was still in there. _He doesn't want to hit a girl,_ she thought. _He's fighting Aunt Kat's mind control, even if only slightly... Maybe if he sees the ones he loves the most, it will break her hold on him fully._

"Alphas, teleport Kimberly and Angie to my location immediately," Sage said into her communicator. A frantic chorus of nervous Alphas responded. Moments later, the two appeared.

"Sage, what's-" Angie started to ask. "Kenny?" She finished as she spotted him.

"Sweetheart!" Kimberly added with tears of relief in her eyes.

"Stay _back!"_ Kenny shouted at Kimberly. He didn't look into her eyes.

"Baby, it's _me,"_ Kimberly said in confusion.

"Aunt Kat put a spell on him," Sage explained. "He thinks she's his mother and that you're married to Uncle Tommy. I'm hoping that seeing you snaps him out of it."

"How _interesting,"_ a voice said with a cackle. Lily, or Mistress Cheetah, appeared before them. "So Zell's bitch daughter mentally kidnapped a Power Ranger from his mother? Well, _that_ won't do at _all._ Let's see if _I_ can help jog his memories." She snapped her fingers and an army of monsters from Onyx appeared.

"Shit," Sage cursed. "Guys... It's Morphin' Time." She immediately added, "Dragonzord!"

Kimberly quickly morphed into her Ninjetti form. Angie did not summon the Chosen armor. Instead, she ran straight at the biggest monster, using her magic to try to fight it. She didn't destroy it, and as Angie nodded at Lily, Sage understood... In her own twisted way, Lily's monster attack was actually her attempt to help them, and Angie was going to work with it.

Kimberly delivered a series of swift kicks to an especially ugly monster. She flipped through the air, landing gracefully beside Sage, who was trying to hold off three monsters at once. With Kimberly beside her, the scales quickly tipped back in their favor. However, as they took down the three, several more appeared.

"I could do this _all_ day," Lily said with an evil smirk. She moved her hand, sending Kimberly flying through the air, then casually moved toward her.

"Kim!" Sage screamed. She would have run to her, but she was suddenly surrounded by monsters. Sage kicked at them, twisting her body through the air as she battled the increasingly large army of monsters. She managed to do a fair amount of damage and they didn't get many hits in on her, but she still needed to get by them to get to either Kimberly or Angie.

Kimberly was going hand-to-hand against Lily. Surprisingly, Lily didn't resort to magic to give herself an advantage, but that didn't mean she wasn't still incredibly dangerous. Sage had to admire Lily's skill in battle. She just wished it wasn't being used against Kimberly.

As the biggest of the monsters sent Angie flying into a tree, Angie hit her head. She was a sitting duck as it moved toward her, ready to deliver a killing blow. Sage tried to find a way to reach her friend, but monsters kept coming.

Suddenly, Sage saw something which made her smile. Kenny walked up behind the monster and jumped into the air to tap on his enormous shoulder. The monster spun around and Kenny immediately jumped and kicked it in the face. It let out a cry of protest as it stumbled backward.

"You shouldn't hit girls, Asshole," Kenny said sharply before he attacked the monster again. He kicked it in the head, the stomach, and even the groin, but it wasn't until he kicked it right in the chest that the monster collapsed and turned to dust.

Angie stared at Kenny for a moment. He knelt in front of her. "Are you okay?" He asked. "Your head is bleeding. Here..." He tore off part of the bottom of his shirt and used it to apply pressure to the cut on Angie's forehead.

"Thanks, Kenny," Angie said softly, looking at him with both love and hope in her eyes. He smiled at her, his own affection for her clear even if he didn't understand it.

"Our work here is done," Lily said. "Underlings! Come. We have somewhere to be." She snapped her finger and vanished with her monsters.

"Kim, are you okay?" Sage asked.

Kimberly nodded. "Are _you?"_ She asked.

"I'm fine..." Sage moved closer to Kenny and Angie.

"Stay back! Don't you _touch_ her!" Kenny said fiercely.

"She's _hurt,_ Kenny. I can heal her," Sage pointed out.

"No. You're evil. You'll hurt her."

"Kenny... Do you know who I am?" Angie asked.

"Yeah... You're Angeline, from school... I... I remember helping you before... When Rito attacked you," Kenny said. He seemed confused by his memory. "I flashed back on it when that monster was getting ready to kill you."

"You did," Angie said with a sad smile. "You saved my life that day, Kenny, and you didn't even know me." She winced in pain as Kenny checked her head injury. It was still bleeding.

"Kenny, Angie _needs_ help," Sage said.

"I'll call an ambulance," Kenny said stubbornly. "I don't trust you with her."

"Kenny, Sage only wants to heal her," Kimberly said. "Sweetheart, _please..._ In your heart, you know you can trust her."

"Shut up! _You're_ the worst of the bunch, _Kimberly."_

Kimberly looked heartbroken. "Baby... Please... _Try_ to remember..." She whispered as tears formed in her eyes.

Kenny hesitated as he saw this. "That's not fair," he said. "Don't cry."

"Sorry... Postpartum hormones make it harder to control my emotions," Kimberly said with an apologetic shrug. Her tears got worse.

"Please don't cry, M... _Kimberly."_ The near-slip was enough to make it clear Kenny was fighting harder. He grabbed his head in pain, screaming as if it was going to explode.

"Kenny!" Angie cried in alarm.

Kimberly reacted before anyone else could move. She wrapped Kenny in her arms, holding him tightly and refusing to let him go. "Shhh, Baby... It's okay... You're safe... It's going to be okay," she said. "I love you, Kenny. I'm not leaving you like this."

"M... Ma..." Kenny couldn't say the word, but it was clear how hard he was trying to. "I'm scared," he whispered. "Nothing makes sense... It hurts _so_ much when I try to think..." He whimpered as the pain obviously increased.

"Let Sage help you, sweetheart," Kimberly begged him.

"I don't know who to trust!" He shouted, pulling away from Kimberly.

"Do you trust _me?"_ Angie asked.

Kenny looked into her eyes. He nodded and whispered, "I do."

"Then let Sage help you. I _promise_ you'll feel better after she does. I trust her, Kenny... With my life."

He was crying now. "But... Thorn killed Katie. That _really_ happened, right?" He asked in a trembling voice.

"It did," Angie said sadly. "Katie betrayed us, Kenny... She killed Mike and Mentor Ji, and she was going to kill _you,_ but Thorn stopped her. He hates himself for it. It broke something in him... But she wasn't Katie anymore, Kenny. She became someone else... A monster." Angie started to cry, too. "I hate it... Katie was the one who convinced Tommy to let me crash with him so I didn't have to go back to the group home. She trusted me, welcomed me with open arms even though I was the Sorceress... She was my friend, and I was just as stunned as you when she betrayed us... But it happened, Kenny."

He shook his head. "I can't remember... I mean, I can see her dying, but it's not the way you tell me it happened... She was trying to _protect_ me... And Thorn killed her in cold blood."

"No, Kenny. You _know_ Thorn. He's gentle and kind, and he would _never_ do something like that unless he had no choice." Angie paused. "Kenny... Let Sage help you. I promise I won't let her hurt you."

Sage took the opportunity to heal Angie's head. "Thanks," Angie said with relief. "See, Kenny? She's _not_ evil. Please trust me enough to let her try to help you."

Kenny sighed. "Okay," he said reluctantly. This made him clutch his head in pain again. "The headaches every time I try to question things aren't subtle... And Andie said my grandfather beat the hell out of her... I thought she was confused, but _someone_ did it, and no one else in that house would dare to touch her..." He winced as the pain hit again. "I _couldn't_ believe her... My mind refused to process her words... And if I try to resist my reflex thoughts, I feel all this pain, like my head is going to burst... _Something_ is wrong with me."

"Sage can fix you, honey... I promise," Kimberly said.

He nodded. "Go ahead," he said.

"I need to bring you back to the Reservation and put you into a meditative state," Sage said. To Angie and Kimberly, she added, "Guys, this might take a while. You should go home."

"I'm not going _anywhere,"_ they replied in unison. They exchanged a smile.

"I promised I'd keep him safe," Angie said.

"He's my baby boy... I'll _never_ leave him," Kimberly added.

"Okay. Follow me. It's going to be a _long_ day," Sage said.

Angie manifested a picnic basket behind them. It floated after them. "Snacks," she said with a grin. "A good Sorceress comes prepared."

Sage laughed and led the way back to the Reservation. With any luck, she'd have Kenny back to normal in no time.

 _ **SHANIECE**_

She had been searching for answers to her mysterious origins for well over a century. Born in 1893 in a peaceful village in Africa, Shaniece had been raised by members of the Campbell Sorcery line. They'd sensed their blood in her veins, but even the incredibly powerful Campbells could not figure out where the seemingly abandoned infant had come from.

Like the rest of her family, Shaniece possessed great powers. She could communicate with animals and cast powerful spells. She was a gifted healer. Shaniece also had powerful visions, a gift that was not considered to be a Campbell trait. The family assumed the gift came from her father, as the protective Campbell energy surrounding her had always seemed female in nature.

It wasn't until Shaniece was a teenager that they realized she seemed to stop aging. This caused the family to study her energy more thoroughly, and they realized that her father's bloodline appeared to be Eltarian. Her family encouraged Shaniece to look into the other half of her heritage, and sometime in the 1930s, she had met a man from Eltar who helped her go to the distant planet. She'd lived on the planet for nearly a century, falling in love with the people and the culture. The Eltarians had embraced this "lost child" and helped her learn to thrive in their society. No one was ever able to figure out who her father had been, but the people of Eltar became her new family.

Very recently, Shaniece had had a vision of a battle in a town on Earth. The vision had involved members of the Rebellion of Eltar. For reasons she could not explain, Shaniece was drawn to one in particular. He'd died a painful and shocking death at the hands of the Power Rangers, and while it was clear this man was one of the bad guys, Shaniece had felt grief at his loss. She had come out of the vision with the need to find the town and pay her respects.

It had taken months for her to figure out where this town was. She hadn't wanted to ask anyone, especially with the attack on the Counsel Building so fresh in everyone's minds. The Rebellion was a sore subject and Shaniece didn't want to upset anyone. Eventually, she had found Stone Hallow, California, and she'd begun to investigate the town. She had not been on Earth in a long time, and it had changed, but she had been raised speaking English in addition to her village's native dialect, so she was able to understand everything going on around her. Shaniece was skilled at blending in.

As she approached the location from her vision, Shaniece felt a chill shoot through her. The buildings on the property were partially in ruins. The battle had included explosions and other destructive elements that had taken the homes disguising the Rebellion's base of operations down. It was almost like a spell had kept outsiders away, and no one had touched the property since the surviving Rebels had fled, leaving everything behind.

Shaniece saw the large hole in the ground where the Power Rangers had washed away all of the spells the Rebel she inexplicably grieved had had on himself, including his immortality. Although the Rangers had tried to save him from drowning, he'd been too gravely injured from the battle and had died from his wounds. Shaniece touched the ground where he'd perished and felt tears forming in her eyes.

"Why do you affect me?" She asked aloud.

A flash of a vision hit her then. _The same Rebel was in an office at the Counsel Building. It seemed to be long ago. The Guard surrounded him. He begged them to spare a woman who was oddly familiar to Shaniece._

She has Campbell blood, _she realized. She'd felt this woman's energy before, protecting her..._

 _As the man surrendered with no resistance, a Guard fired off a shot. The Campbell woman was dying. The Rebel screamed for her, calling her Nika, and flung the Guards off of him so he could race to the woman he clearly loved._

 _"I... I_ had _to..." The Guard who'd shot Nika said. Somehow, Shaniece suddenly knew he was the woman's own father. "It was as if a powerful force compelled me to."_

 _"She was working with a deadly criminal," a Senator said. "Your actions were justified."_

 _The Rebel grew furious then. His heart was breaking, but he embraced his rage. After using his jacket to try to slow the bleeding, he gently set his beloved down. "Justified?" He demanded. "She was no threat!_ Neither _of us were! But now?_ Now, _I am a threat!" With that, he grabbed the gun from Nika's father and began to fire upon the unprepared Guards. With bullets to the head, they died immediately and without time to register any pain. Only when he shot the Senator did he go for a slower wound, wanting the man who'd given the order that had escalated things to suffer._

 _Nika used the very last of her life force to protect someone she identified only as "she" and "her." She then told the Rebel she loved him before dying in his arms as he begged her not to leave him._

 _The Rebel shot her father in the head as her father again expressed horror at his own actions. He then remained there, holding his dead love. When other Rebels arrived, he softly confessed that Nika had been pregnant. Then, he vowed his revenge. One day, he would make the corrupt government of Eltar pay for everything they had stolen from him._

With a start, Shaniece returned to the present. "He lost _everything,"_ she whispered in horror. "While it does not excuse what happened at the Counsel Building, I think I understand now why this man turned into such a monster..." She sighed. "Rest now... You are reunited with your wife and unborn child beyond the veil."

A noise startled her out of the moment. Shaniece realized she was not alone. _It is too late to run... Play along. Heal him slowly and he shall spare your life,_ a guiding voice said urgently. Somehow, although she had never heard her before, Shaniece knew the voice belonged to Galaxia Campbell, her famed and celebrated ancestor.

 _What's happening?_ Shaniece asked her as every nerve in her body was suddenly on high alert.

 _He will kill you to save himself unless he sees value in your continued existence. Help him, but not too much. Lie to him. Tell him you must do it slowly. If he realizes a Campbell is willingly helping him, he will want to keep you as an ally. Guard your mind and do not trust him under any circumstances._

With that, Galaxia left her mind. A figure slowly came toward her. He was leaking power. The hole in his energy field was large. He had burns across his chest, which he had tried to treat himself, but it was clear he was unable to do it properly in his current state. He was covered in blood and dirt, and he looked like he'd just survived the apocalypse.

She knew who he was. The Eltarians spoke of the Great Wizard in hushed voices, but she'd still learned enough over the years to know this wounded but still powerful being could be no one else. His eyes widened as he spotted her. "Hello, my dear," he said with an eerie smile.

"You are terribly wounded," Shaniece said with fake concern. "Allow me to heal you and mend your wounds properly."

He looked surprised. "You would assist me?" He asked.

"Certainly, Great Wizard."

"You... Are Eltarian," he said in surprise.

"Half, yes. Come closer, Great Wizard." She began to cast a healing charm.

"Tell me, my dear... Are you a Campbell?"

"Indeed. My name is Shaniece Campbell..."

"You know who I am, and are both a Campbell and an Eltarian, yet you help me?"

"I have come here in search of the Rebellion of Eltar. I seek to join them in their efforts, and they are working with you. Are they not?"

"Some of them are, yes..." He paused to study her. "The left this place after a slaughter... I came in search of my most loyal companion, Felina. This was once her Chapter's base... However, she is not here."

"Does the house have supplies? Your injuries are quite severe. I can only heal so much at a time, but I can treat them properly with medical supplies."

"Yes. Follow me, and thank you, my dear."

"Of course, Great Wizard, Sir."

"You may call me Great Zell."

She nodded. They reached the building in the best condition. Supplies, both medical and magical, were scattered around a room. "That is one of Lido's burn ointments," Zell said, pointing to a jar.

Shaniece automatically began applying the burn ointment to the angriest of Zell's wounds. The gash across his chest looked like it had been from some sort of animal, but somehow, it had turned into a burn. "What did this to you?" She asked as she began to cover the wound in gauze before bandaging it.

"Dragons," Zell replied. "It would appear that I have underestimated my _dear_ Bella... I shall not make that mistake again."

Having lived on Eltar, Shaniece knew dragons were real, however it was rare anyone could properly summon them. "She must be very powerful."

"Indeed, my dear. On Eltar, only Talon surpassed her when it came to working with these creatures. Not only could he summon dragons, he could transform into one."

Shaniece had to admit that sounded pretty impressive. "Perhaps you need _him_ on your side," she said lightly.

"He was, once. Talon and his brother Stone were two of my most trusted advisers on Eltar. They were nearly as gifted as my brother and I were, although they were younger. Unfortunately, Talon betrayed me... I had to put him down. I know not what became of Stone... He spent much of his time in seclusion after that... I think he may have joined up with the Rebellion eventually. I should look into that. He makes a powerful ally, but a deadly enemy. I must know where he stands."

Shaniece knew of only one Eltarian named Stone. He was a stoic man who radiated much power. His magic was dark and sometimes frightened the other Eltarians, but he was known to be a good man. He was a respected elder in the community, and he kept to himself unless needed. Shaniece was certain he was the man Zell was looking for, but she could not imagine him as a member of the Rebellion of Eltar. It seemed impossible given his reputation.

"You need time to rest," Shaniece said as she finished tending to his wounds. "These will not heal overnight and I can only do so much... The hole in your energy field is smaller, but not fully patched yet."

"Thank you, my dear. This place is safe for now. Only Lido ever returned to the property after the last battle, and he is in Angel Grove currently... No one shall look for us here, except perhaps for Felina... And I hope she does."

"Why do you want her to find us?"

Zell frowned slightly. "I fear I frightened her yesterday," he replied. "I suspected her to have doubts and I reacted harshly... I only meant to make her understand her mistake, but I may have taken it too far... I _must_ have Felina by my side. It is vital."

"Why is she more important than your other followers?"

"That is not your concern, my dear... You simply need to know that I require her to be here, where she belongs. Besides, Felina cannot survive without me. Frightened or not, she shall return when she is well enough."

"How do you know?"

"She did what I could not... She saved my Rangers of the Flame, at great risk to herself. I had a vision of their escape at the last possible moment. Only Miss Morgan failed to escape with them. Unfortunately, Felina was still trapped in our former base with her when the others made it to safety... I cannot feel Miss Morgan as I did before... She may have perished, or the Rangers have saved her... But Felina..."

"Is she dead?"

"It is highly unlikely. I cast the immortality spell on her myself long ago, at the height of my power. It is not easy to break. She _can_ die if wounded severely enough, but it is nearly impossible unless the right person kills her... And he was not present last night. Wherever she is, she is alive. She may be gravely injured, however... If she has not turned up by the time I am recovered, I shall find her and heal her myself... That should calm her and keep her loyal." He paused, his exhaustion clear despite his best efforts to hide it. "Come... There are bedrooms down the hall which were not destroyed. I shall take Raffitty's, and you may have Felina's for now."

The rooms were remarkably well-preserved considering the damage to the property. Shaniece helped Zell settle into the master bedroom before heading to the one beside it. She could have run once he fell asleep, but she knew it was important she stay. For whatever reason, Galaxia wanted her there.

Felina's bedroom was quite impressive. Her bed was large and comfortable and had a canopy with black dressings like it belonged to some gothic vampire princess. A stunning chandelier hung from the ceiling, although there was no longer any electricity to power it. Candles filled the room, and Shaniece used a simple spell to ignite them so she could see better. There were supplies for every possible spell Shaniece could think of and some she couldn't. There were not many decorations, but one stood out to her. It was a photo of several people.

Shaniece studied the photograph. A man with long, dark blonde hair stood at the center beside a stoic -looking man in a Military uniform. On the soldier's other side was the man whose death she'd seen. He smiled proudly. On the blonde's other side was a strikingly beautiful woman. In front of her was a teenage boy who grinned impishly and seemed to be doing his best to make the others crack a smile. In front of the soldier stood a gorgeous woman. Somehow, Shaniece knew she was a Campbell. A woman with a warm smile stood at the end, watching the impish one with obvious affection.

She flipped the photo over. In delicate calligraphy, someone had written, _Felina, Laby, Raff, Captain Smith, Kizzie, Garron, and Amareese... Stone Hollow, 1985._ Although Felina showed no obvious emotion in the photograph, Shaniece could tell she'd cared for these people. After all, this photo was the only sentimental object she appeared to have owned.

"You are an enigma, Felina of Eltar..." Shaniece mumbled. She put the photo back where it belonged and tried to settle down enough to sleep. She knew she'd need her strength for whatever was coming next.

 _ **ANDIE**_

Ivan had managed to keep most of her nightmares away. Waking up safe in his arms had helped significantly, and Andie was much calmer than she'd been the night before. "Ivan, I should wake up A'Vah," she said.

"Ah, yes... I shall prepare a grand breakfast for our littlest guest," Ivan said with a smile. He had not questioned who the child was or why Andie had insisted on bringing her with them. Ivan seemed to understand that Andie simply wasn't up to answering such questions. He'd set up a cot for her to sleep on right next to his own bed. Since Andie and Ivan had not passed the kissing stage of their relationship, it wasn't like they'd get up to anything inappropriate anyway, especially not with what Zell had nearly done to Andie.

Ivan kissed Andie's forehead before slipping out of the room. Andie was still sore, but she felt a lot better than she had the day before. Scarlet had healed the worst of the damage. She was mostly just bruised now.

"A'Vah... Wake up, sweetie," she said gently. _"Vrizzan mek l'tarr,"_ she added. Somehow, she knew the phrase meant _come back from the stars,_ an Eltarian expression to let children know it was time to stop dreaming and get up.

A'Vah slowly opened her eyes. "Hello, Mother," she said.

"You can call me Andie," she said gently.

"An...dee..." A'Vah sounded out. Andie smiled at her encouragingly.

In Eltarian, she said, "We are going to meet my friend today... Lido. He talks to birds, just like you."

A'Vah seemed to understand. She smiled with nervous excitement. Andie knew that taking the young Aviary to Lido was for the best. He was the only one who would understand her fully. Scarlet had promised to come back to ensure they made the journey safely, and both Andie and Daphne desperately wanted to see Lido. Andie knew he was worried about her.

She helped A'Vah get ready to face the day. She then got herself ready while A'Vah sat patiently waiting. When a bird flew onto the windowsill, A'Vah stood up excitedly and ran toward it. The tiny robin seemed just as excited to see her. Andie watched in fascination as the bird and the little girl communicated in silence. A'Vah giggled. She put her hand on the window, obviously wanting to play with the bird, so Andie opened the window and let it in.

 _She really_ is _cute,_ Andie thought as A'Vah smiled and interacted with the robin. She genuinely hoped that Lido would be able to help the sweet little girl. Andie cared about her, even if she recognized that Zell's decision to have a teenager raise her was ridiculous. She wanted to make sure A'Vah was happy and safe wherever she ended up.

Ivan knocked on the door. Andie opened it. His eyes fell on A'Vah and the robin. "The girl is an Aviary?" He asked in surprise.

"She is," Andie confirmed. "Zell said she was abandoned in the woods, like Lido. He had his 'associates' bring her to him so he could... Well, _give_ her to me, I guess. He wanted me to raise her. He said it would help me find a purpose, because apparently being a mother was everything to Daphne... But I'm sixteen, and even if I'm not just going to abandon the kid, I'm not mother material."

"You shall make an _excellent_ mother one day, M'Lady," Ivan told her. "Not only was Daphne good with children, but so was my Isobel. _"_ There was sadness in his eyes. Andie knew Ivan still struggled with the knowledge that Isobel had raised their son alone after he vanished.

"I wouldn't know how to be a mother... My mom was an addict... I nearly died trying to save her from an earthquake once because she'd blacked out... And she..." Andie shook her head, trying to clear the memory of passing out from exhaustion when she was ten and waking up to discover her mother had overdosed. "I know my mom loved me, but she was very sick... _I_ took care of _her_ , not the other way around." She didn't even touch on her father. The circumstances of his death still bothered both Andie and Ivan on some level.

Ivan didn't say anything, instead opting to hold her. He knew by now that, sometimes, that was all the comfort she needed.

A'Vah suddenly looked up at them. "An...dee?" She asked.

"Yes, A'Vah?" Andie asked.

In Eltarian, she said what Andie vaguely translated to, "My friend is hungry."

"We'll give your friend something to eat. Breakfast is almost ready, right, Ivan?" Andie asked. She didn't even realize she'd said this in Eltarian until she noticed Ivan blinking at her in surprise.

"M'Lady... When did you learn to speak another tongue?" He asked.

"Daphne's knowledge of Eltarian came back to me... And A'Vah barely speaks Eltarian, let alone English." She stared at her feet, embarrassed. "I asked if breakfast was almost ready... A'Vah says the bird is hungry, and I'm guessing she's too shy to tell me _she's_ hungry, too."

"Remarkable... It is fine, M'Lady. Do not be ashamed of this new knowledge. It is useful."

"I try to be more Isobel around you than Daphne... You didn't know her."

"I simply want you to be _Andie,_ M'Lady... And that includes elements from both Daphne _and_ Isobel. I love _all_ of you."

Andie finally met his eyes. "I love you," she said softly.

He smiled. "And, to answer your question, yes. Breakfast is nearly ready. I'm sure we have crackers in the cabinet for the robin."

They moved to the kitchen with the robin happily flying around A'Vah. When she sat down, it perched on her shoulder, which seemed to delight A'Vah. Andie relaxed as Ivan grandly presented food to them. A'Vah fed crackers to the robin as Andie alternated between feeding her and feeding herself. Ivan watched her with his usual level of adoration in his eyes and Andie reassured herself that she was safe. They _all_ were...

 _Except Felina,_ she thought with a pang of guilt. Once, Andie had despised Felina. She had gone out of her way to torment her and had even tried to kill her. She'd gotten Andie's father out of jail, made him part of the Rebellion, and granted him some powers so he could either destroy Andie or recruit her to their side. Those events had made it necessary for Ivan to kill her father to save her life. Felina had also kidnapped her, bringing her to Zell this most recent time. At the base, Andie had seen the spirit of poor, terrified, desperately sad Stanny, the boy she'd saved only to have him meet his end at Zell's hands, apparently because Felina had chosen him specifically. That discovery had broken something in Andie. Stanny had watched her silently, looking like he wanted to protect her but didn't know how to. She suspected he was still with her, although she didn't see him currently. On top of all of that, it had come out during their battle in Stone Hollow that Felina had been the one to cause the crash which killed Greg's parents. She'd been trying to kill Greg, who was only two at the time, because she knew he was Ash and would be a threat to Zell one day if he was allowed to grow up.

Felina might have done all of that, but thanks to her outburst over A'Vah, Andie understood her now. In some ways, Felina had been Zell's victim more than _any_ of them. And somewhere, deep down, there was still a little bit of good in her. That had been proven when she saved Kendall.

 _We'll find her,_ Andie promised herself. _We'll protect her from him._

 _ **RAFFITTY**_

Being dead was not so bad, really. In death, his mind was finally clear, and he couldn't understand what had come over him. _You deserved to die,_ he told himself. _After what you did to Insu, and Allie... And to everyone else you hurt... Bob must be so ashamed of me._

Seeing Zell sleeping in his bed, Raffitty grew angry. In his frustration, he flung several books at Zell's head. The monster was so wounded, he slept right through the assault.

"Yeah, because _that's_ effective," a voice said. Zydia stood beside him rolling her eyes. Death had not changed Zydia in the slightest. "Ghostly temper tantrums will only give him more energy to feed off of, you fool."

"Zydia... You should leave this place before he consumes you, too," Raffitty said.

"As if you care, Raff. You just want to take the property back for yourself... You _left._ You went with him. And apparently, it didn't end well for you. Why are you back here? Just leave it to me. We were fine here without you."

When Raffitty had found his way to his Chapter's base, Zydia hadn't been the only spirit there. Although he'd hoped to find Garron, he'd found the dead foot soldiers instead. Zydia, in true Zydia fashion, had taken over as commander of the army of foot soldiers. Raffitty didn't know what her intention was. Perhaps she was just lonely in death and had needed a purpose, or maybe she bossed them around to keep them from doing things which might irritate her. Either way, she was clearly enjoying being in charge of so many souls.

"I felt a disturbance on the property... It triggered me back here... He absorbed the energy of half of the foot soldiers, Zydia... There's nothing left of their souls. He'll go for you eventually," Raffitty said.

"And if he gets near me, I'll _destroy_ him!" Zydia insisted. "Or maybe I'll just ask him to resurrect me. I was going to go to him before I died anyway. Garron changed his tune on things and convinced me."

"Where _is_ Garron?"

"I think he moved on when he died... Like he found peace or whatever. Asshole... He could have told _me_ how to get out of here first..."

"You're stuck," Raffitty realized.

"No shit, _Sherlock._ Jeez, Raff, did you get _dumber?"_

"Zydia... Do you know about Rupi?"

Zydia tensed. "What _about_ my brother?" She asked harshly.

"He followed Zell, too... And got gravely injured to protect Zell, who then left him for dead even as I begged him to save him. Zell decided Rupi wasn't worth the energy after he'd 'served his purpose' and he _left him to die."_

Zydia stared at him. " _What?"_ She demanded.

"He's dead, Zydia. And Zell might as well have killed him himself."

Zydia radiated with a powerful rage. Suddenly, two of Raffitty's swords flew through the air, impaling Zell's chest. Zell let out a surprised cry of pain as he woke up. He pulled the swords out, cursing in Eltarian, too weak to realize how he'd been attacked.

"Nice... But it won't kill him," Raffitty pointed out.

"No... But it hurt like hell," Zydia said with an amused grin.

The Sorceress who was staying in Felina's room rushed into Raffitty's bedroom. "Great Zell? How did this happen?" She asked. She immediately started trying to stop the flow of blood from his chest.

Zell might have answered, but the sound of explosions filled the base. "What's happening?" The Sorceress asked.

"This base is haunted by those who perished here," Zell explained.

" _And_ the dead foot soldiers from the attack on the Counsel Building," Zydia said, rolling her eyes. "They followed us back here apparently."

A voice wailed in the distance. The sound was heartbreaking, especially as Raffitty made out a distinct word... "Vancello..."

"Tegus..." Raffitty realized aloud. "You didn't tell me he was here."

"All he does is wail and cry out for his kid. He's _useless._ I tried to snap him out of it, but he's stuck on repeat... He keeps reliving his death, _loudly._ The guy gives me a headache," Zydia replied coldly.

"Maybe I can help him... After all I did to his son..." Raffitty shook his head. Vancello had been a good kid. His only crime had been falling in love with a Power Ranger. He was only part of the Rebellion because of his father, who Raffitty had recruited in his deep grief for his wife. Raffitty had become convinced that torturing the teenager would make him see reason and bring him back to the Rebellion. He'd nearly killed him, and Tegus had ultimately helped his son escape, along with the Power Rangers. He'd refused to leave with them, too loyal to the Rebellion to fully betray them. He'd been killed by one of Boom and Blast's explosions soon after when they realized he was technically a traitor. "It's my fault he's here."

"Be my guest. I'd love to find a way to shut him up," Zydia said with a shrug.

Raffitty headed toward the sound of the explosions. There, stuck on a loop, was his former tactical expert. He'd trusted Tegus deeply and knew he was a good man. "Tegus... My friend... Please try to focus," Raffitty said gently.

"Vancello..." Tegus wailed.

"Vancello is _safe,_ Tegus. He _survived._ He lives with his Power Ranger and the boy's father now."

"Vancello..."

"Please hear me, my friend..." Raffitty tried again, this time speaking in Eltarian. Tegus still appeared not to hear him.

"I _told you_ he's useless," Zydia said as she appeared.

"He needs to see Van for himself... Then, perhaps, he will be at peace."

"So the kid's alive?"

"Yes... It is my understanding that Zordon made him a Power Ranger."

"Jeez, Zordon hands out powers to _anyone_ these days... _You_ get a morpher! _You_ get a morpher! _Everyone_ gets a morpher! Who _is_ he, Oprah Winfrey?"

Raffitty shook his head. He ignored Zydia and looked at Tegus. "I shall free you from this, Tegus. You have my _word_ I shall find a way," he vowed.

"Yeah," Zydia said sarcastically. "Good luck with _that."_

 _ **MENA**_

She couldn't stop thinking about what she and Greg had discovered on Eltar. It had been extremely difficult for Mena to step into her father's office. When magic had been used to rebuild the destroyed Counsel Building, all offices had been restored to more or less their previous state. Out of respect for the former Prime Minister, Anise had chosen to occupy a different office, leaving his untouched aside from the occasional dusting spell.

As they tried to figure out what the Alchemist and the Warlock had been up to while the other Rebels were slaughtering everyone, Mena's eyes had begun to glow white. That meant her power was working, and she'd followed it to her father's office with Greg beside her. She tried focusing on the task at hand and did her best to ignore the memory of her father lying fatally wounded and ordering Mena to lead the survivors to safety, leaving him behind. Finally, Mena had realized that a book was missing.

She hadn't understood at first. The book could only be accessed by those with the bloodlines of Prime Ministers past and present. Mena could access it, for example. She considered that Zell could have taken it, given that her father was apparently his nephew and there was a blood tie, but that didn't feel right. She was _positive_ the Alchemist and the Warlock had stolen the book, but how? And, possibly more importantly, _why?_

Anise had confirmed she didn't have the book, so Mena and Greg had returned to Angel Grove. Mena had proceeded to hack the Eltarian Government's records, searching through file after file for clues. She knew Anise would have granted her access for this, but Mena had been hacking those files for a few years and knew the back roads better than the main access points.

She was going through the files for Moriazan, the Prime Minister before her father. His daughter, Ember Jada Leigh, had been killed in combat while serving in the Eltarian Air Force on a mission on Earth. A proud member of the Guard, "Jada" had been respected, if a bit outspoken against corruption. While that sounded like someone who would have done well with the Rebellion, Jada was definitely dead, and she was significantly younger than Mena suspected the Alchemist was.

Mena stumbled across a much older file. This one held a portrait of a young girl who vaguely resembled Jada but had blue eyes instead of green ones. She had long blonde hair and was rather pretty. There was something familiar about her. The caption read, _Eva Leigh, daughter of Moriazan... Missing..._

Suddenly, an impossible thought occurred to Mena. "If you turned her hair and eyes dark and aged her just a bit, this girl could be the Alchemist..." She realized aloud.

She quickly ran toward one of the unsanctioned portals between Earth and Eltar. She could have just asked Greg to teleport her to Eltar, but Mena felt like she had to do this alone. It was official Prime Minister family business, after all, and Moriazan did not like to be disturbed by just anyone.

She'd met the former Prime Minister a couple of times growing up. He was a kind, well-respected man, but after losing Jada, his health had deteriorated. He rarely left his residence, and every meeting she'd been present at had been at his home. Mena found it easily now, and she only hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door. A housekeeper answered the door.

"May I help you?" The woman asked.

"I wish to speak to Moriazan," Mena said respectfully.

"He is too ill for visitors. I am afraid he is not long for this world," the housekeeper said in a hushed tone.

"Please, I will not stay long... Tell him Mena is here to see him... Daughter of Rey." It was hard to say that last part without getting emotional.

"Miss Mena?" The housekeeper asked, her eyes going wide. "Forgive me, Miss. I did not recognize you. I am terribly sorry about your father. Come inside. I will ask if he shall see you." She rushed off.

Mena took a moment to compose herself. When the housekeeper returned, she motioned for Mena to follow her.

"Mena of Eltar, Daughter of Rey... Such a blessing to see you safe and well," Moriazan greeted her warmly. He looked deathly pale and was terribly thin, but he still smiled at her.

"Thank you for seeing me, Moriazan," she said kindly.

"What brings you here?"

"Forgive me, Sir, but I am here to speak with you about your daughter."

"My Ember..." He sighed sadly.

"Actually, Sir, this is about your _other_ daughter... Eva Leigh?"

He tensed. "No one has spoken of Eva since well before you were born... How did you learn of her?"

"Research, Sir... I know this is difficult, but can you tell me anything about her?"

He took a pained breath before saying, "Of course... My sweet Eva... She vanished long ago, I'm afraid... Gone without a trace. It devastated me... My heart only began to reignite when Ember was born... I lost them both entirely too young... Eva was very special, you know. She had very strong magic... Sorcery."

"Could she do anything more rare than that?"

He smiled sadly. "She was shy and afraid to tell people, I think, but I knew... My Eva was able to turn anything she desired to gold. The power is _exceptionally_ rare."

"She was an alchemist..." Mena whispered.

"Indeed. May I ask why you are so interested?"

"Curiosity," Mena lied. She couldn't decide if it was crueler to let a dying old man believe both of his daughters were dead or to tell him one had turned evil. She was fairly certain he couldn't handle the strain of the latter news.

"You've always been a bright, curious girl," Moriazan said with an affectionate smile. "It is no wonder your father was so proud of you... Rey was a good man. Such a tragedy what happened that day..."

 _The attack_ your daughter _was part of,_ Mena thought. On the surface, she continued to smile.

"Mena... I have something for you," Moriazan said.

"For me?" She repeated in surprise.

"Yes... There is a golden key sitting in my top drawer... It unlocks Eva Leigh's bedroom... Her belongings remain there, exactly as she left them, protected by a powerful preservation spell. I never solved the mystery of what became of her, and it haunts me to this day. You have a gift for finding things... I believe you may be able to solve this mystery for me. Will you do me this kindness, Young Mena?"

She knew she should refuse, but access to the childhood room of the Alchemist might prove extremely valuable. Besides, Mena wanted to help bring Moriazan closure. Perhaps if she understood how the Alchemist had turned into a monster, she could ease his pain a bit even by telling him the truth.

"I shall do my best," Mena promised. "I am honored." She retrieved the key. Somehow, she knew which door to open. The room was a time capsule, throwing Mena into the past. Everything remained in perfect condition, abandoned long ago yet eternally awaiting Eva Leigh's return.

There were some magical tools as well as chemicals Mena knew had been used for alchemy. The keepsakes in the room were that of any young maiden on Eltar. Eva Leigh had been just shy of two hundred years old, which classified her as just barely older than a teenager by Eltarian standards. She had portraits and other artwork decorating nearly every inch of the room. Mena realized in surprise that she recognized the signature which appeared on each piece.

"Elgan..." She said softly. "My grandfather... Brother of Zell..."

A professional portrait hung in the room. She recognized Elgan beside the blonde she now knew had been Eva Leigh. On her other side was a young man who strongly resembled the Warlock, only he didn't look as harsh and evil. The three looked to be the closest of companions as they smiled, each man with an arm wrapped around Eva.

"They were _friends_ with my grandfather?" Mena asked aloud. It was impossible, yet there was no denying the love between the three. She sighed. "Okay, Powers... Help me find whatever I need to in order to understand this..."

Her eyes began to glow white. Mena followed the energy until she found a golden trunk. Inside were several spell books and notebooks. Most contained scientific equations and results of experiments, but she realized one was something else.

"She kept a journal..." Mena said as she realized what she had in her hands. This book could provide the key to putting an end to all the trouble the Alchemist caused... Yet it seemed wrong to read it.

"Nessa would do it," Mena said with a laugh. Still, that didn't mean _she_ should. Mena tucked the book back in its hiding place. "Not yet," she decided. "I'll only cross that line if left with no other choice."

She decided she had already learned a lot for one day. Mena took a picture of the shocking portrait and left the room, locking the door behind her. Moriazan had passed out from exhaustion, so she politely said goodbye to the housekeeper before leaving and heading back to Earth.

 _ **KIRA**_

She walked toward Andros, who she'd asked to meet her along with Jayden and Dustin. They weren't _all_ of Team Leadership, but they were currently the four most active leaders, especially with Sage stepping back to help Kenny.

"Guys... It's time," she said as Jayden and Dustin arrived.

"Kira... Are you sure?" Andros asked cautiously.

"According to all accounts, Zell got his ass kicked yesterday. The Alliance's base was destroyed and they all scattered. They're at their most vulnerable right now, so if ever there was a time to call everyone back to Angel Grove, it's now."

"That's a sound strategy," Jayden agreed.

"How can we help?" Dustin asked.

"I'll make the calls... But I need you guys to help get everyone settled in as quietly as possible... I'd rather not draw attention until we're ready to fight," Kira replied. "And _this_ time, participation is _not_ optional... Staying out of things might get people killed."

"So, who's not here?" Dustin asked.

"Let's see... The original teams straight through my team are all here," Andros said. "That includes the Wildcats. As for Lost Galaxy, Karone tried to contact Kai, but she couldn't reach him. We're not sure where he is... But we know Zell turned Maya and Damon."

"So, number one on the list is Kai," Kira said.

"Lightspeed Rescue is here... So is Time Force, minus Wes and Alex, and we know Alex kidnapped Wes," Jayden said. "Merrick's here..."

"I'm here... And so are Cam and Blake," Dustin said. He didn't mention Hunter. No one called him on it.

"My team's obviously here," Kira said. "SPD is here, minus Doggie and Kat... I think I'm going to ask them to come. We could use the help, and they're safer with us than on their own. Mystic Force's core team is here, but we may need to call Udonna, Daggeron, Leanbow, and Clare in..."

"What about Jenji?" Dustin asked.

Kira shrugged. "Sure, Jenji can come, too, as long as the kitty's litter box trained. Okay... Mack and Tyzonn are here... Casey, RJ, and Fran are here and Lily's an evil overlord or whatever now, but we'll work on fixing that as soon as we can... RPM's all here since Scott was rescued..."

"The Samurai Rangers are ready, as always," Jayden promised. "With my sister as an added bonus."

"Mimic Force is here... Dino Charge is present except for Riley, who is presumably still with Zell... I'll have to call in Ninja Steel, but they finished their big fight, so I'm sure they're ready. The Legacy kids are here... And both generations of Chosen... With Andie rescued, the Stone Warriors are all here... And the Ranger Guard. Our non-Rangers are all here and ready if we need them... I think that's everyone?"

"Not _everyone..._ What about the Rebels?" Dustin asked.

"They're here, too," Kira replied.

"Not _all_ of them... Maybe they should call the rest of their people in, too."

"No way," Andros said firmly. "We can't trust them."

"Andros... They've proven they aren't what they seem," Kira pointed out.

"I'll agree that Captain Smith and his people are trustworthy, but the rest of them are strangers... And trust me, they have done a lot of damage across the galaxy."

"We'll ask Captain Smith to call on the ones he deems trustworthy. We need the numbers," Jayden said.

"And if they betray us?" Andros asked.

"Then we let your sister go Full Astronema on them to teach them a lesson," Kira said lightly. Andros looked horrified. "Relax, Andros. I'm _kidding._ The Rebels seem to police their own well, and I trust Captain Smith. If something does go wrong, we can turn them over to Lady Eleanor. She is still legally authorized to deliver swift Eltarian justice as needed, right?"

"She's going to hate the idea of working with them," Andros said. "And I'm not convinced she's wrong."

"We need them, Andros. Other than Zordon, Zedd, and Caius, the Rebels know Zell better than any of us."

"We have the Stone Warriors. Most of the Rebels came around _after_ Zell... The Stone Warriors were his family."

"Are you _hearing_ yourself right now, Andros?" Kira demanded, making him look at her in surprise. "You want to put that kind of pressure on _kids?_ The Stone Warriors are a bunch of sixteen-year-olds who have been through hell. Zell kidnapped Darcy, Greg, and Andie before, and he damn near _killed_ Andie this last time... He murdered those three in the past. And they may remember a lot, but they _aren't_ the people who knew him anymore. His fucking daughter _killed_ Scott and Greg and they had to be resurrected. She _also_ nearly killed Chelsea. She maimed Darcy pretty badly, and the girl woke up to find out her best friend and brother were dead and her boyfriend might kill himself trying to save them. Those kids have fought like hell, and I will be _damned_ if we put extra pressure on them because you're biased against the Rebels."

"I am _not_ biased," Andros said, the hurt clear in his voice. "I just know the things they have done."

Kira softened slightly. "Andros... Did you ever question _why_ they did those things?"

"There is no justification for some of the crimes they've committed."

"I'm not saying their actions were always justified... But maybe they're at least understandable. Anyone can make bad choices in the heat of the moment, but they want to help us now... That's what matters... We're united against a common enemy... One _none_ of us can fight alone."

"I just... I find it difficult to trust a bunch of anarchists."

"They're not anarchists," Dustin said casually. "They stand against _corruption..._ It's just that a _lot_ of governments are corrupt... But they support honest, moral people in government." He paused, noticing they were all looking at him in surprise. "What? Kizzie and I had a long talk at one of the training sessions they came to. I was curious what they were really about."

Andros sighed. "It's your call, Kira. I trust you. I will back your decision," he said.

"Thanks," Kira said. "I'm sorry I was harsh earlier... It's just, with everything that's happened, I genuinely think we need their help... And, no matter what, I don't want to put this all on the kids."

"You're right," Andros replied. "I wasn't thinking... They come across as very mature at times, but they're some of our youngest Rangers. It's not right to put everything on their shoulders and expect them to tell us how to stop him. And... Perhaps I _am_ a bit biased against the Rebels. I should not judge them all on the actions of a few."

"Alright, now that _that's_ settled... I have some calls to make. Prepare the others and tell them not to let their guard down... This isn't over yet," Kira said.

"We're on it," Jayden promised.

"Let's do this," Dustin added. "Step one... Housing." They each set to work on their tasks.

 _ **LIDO**_

The very last thing he had expected was for Andie to show up at his hut with Sir Ivan, Darcy, another aspect of Serafine, and a tiny creature in tow. The child looked at Lido and immediately lit up with excitement. He knew instantly that, somehow, she was an Aviary.

"Andie… I am grateful you have returned to us safely," Lido said. "Who is this child?"

"Lido, this is A'Vah," Andie explained. "Zell found her abandoned on Eltar and brought her here in some misguided attempt to give me a child to mother… Which is all sorts of creepy… But she's a sweet kid, and she's an-"

"Aviary. Yes, I can tell that much… She was abandoned?" His own memories stirred within him. He felt sympathy for the child immediately.

"He says she was, and I think he was telling the truth about that."

Zuzu hopped over to A'Vah and inspected her curiously. She smiled, playing with him, which made Lido smile. "Zuzu likes her," he said.

"Tuti…" A'Vah said sadly.

Lido knelt beside the girl. "You are missing your friend," he observed. She nodded. "Zuzu… Find Tuti. Tell him A'Vah is here and is looking for him. Go now." He sent Zuzu away.

"Do you mind that Scarlet had me bring her here?" Andie asked.

He figured Scarlet was the other aspect of Serafine. "Of course not. I am the only Aviary you know… I suppose it is logical you'd bring her to me."

"Can you protect her? At least until we find another option? No one else will understand her the way you do," Scarlet said, speaking for the first time.

"I will protect her," Lido promised.

"Good… Darcy, I need to speak with you for a few minutes. Come with me?" Scarlet asked, leading her away.

Ivan played with A'Vah while Andie talked to Lido. "You were hurt," Lido said. "And frightened."

"I was," she admitted. "I'm okay now, Lido… Scarlet healed me, and I made it out alive."

"He hurt you… Again…" Lido shook his head. "I promised to protect you from him."

"Lido… I'm okay," Andie said seriously. "Don't worry so much. You had to stay away. It was a trap. It's better you didn't come."

He nodded, but it still bothered him. He held her close, determined to protect her now from any invisible threats.

 _ **DARCY**_

Standing outside of the hut, Darcy talked to another aspect of her soul. That was too weird to think about, so she refused to focus on it. "Darcy… I had Andie bring you with us so I could warn you… Your memories aren't right," Scarlet said.

"What do you mean?" Darcy asked.

"Serafine's memories… The fact that she had 'many' boyfriends but only her relationship with Zell reached the intensity it did… It's wrong, Darcy. Sera had exactly two boyfriends and only one lover before Zell… Her second boyfriend, Talon… And their connection was stronger than anything, including her connection to Zell."

Something about the name hurt Darcy. She recoiled as if she had been slapped, but whatever it was vanished before she could register it. "I don't understand… Why would Sera's memories be wrong?"

"Zell was in her head… I don't know how, but he convinced her to leave Talon for him… She loved Talon with everything she had, Darcy… The guy could literally transform into a dragon. He was awesome, and they were so close… You have to remember him, Darcy… And his brother, Stone. It's important."

"I'll try," Darcy promised. She wasn't sure how to access these hidden memories, but she could tell she needed to.

"I wish I could fight this fight for you… But Zell's right, as much as I hate to say it. I can only do so much in this world. This is your battle… And you need to be ready for it."

"I've been preparing."

"Keep it up. I promise you can do this… But you need full control of Sera's powers. You need to work with Laby. He'll help you unlock them."

"Laby's so fragile when it comes to Sera… He still misses her."

"He'll help you… Even if it hurts. It'll be good for him. Maybe it can bring him some closure."

"I'll talk to him," Darcy agreed. "Is there anything else?"

"Yeah," Scarlet said. "Take care of Andie and Greg."

"Always."

"Good. I need to go back to my home… But you needed to understand what was going on. The false memories could prove dangerous."

"I appreciate your help… And thanks for rescuing my sister."

" _Our_ sister," Scarlet said with a grin. "And anytime… If I see Zell again, I'm castrating him for what he did to her."

"I like you," Darcy said with a laugh.

"Same here. Be safe, Darcy. And good luck." With that, Scarlet left. Darcy headed back inside and saw Ivan fussing over the little one.

"He's great with kids," Darcy mumbled. She wondered if Ivan and Andie would have kids one day. _We just need to survive long enough to find out,_ she decided with determination. She'd find Laby later, after spending some time with her sister, and she'd figure out the full extent of Serafine's powers. Hopefully, that knowledge would give her an advantage when it counted. Zell might be gravely injured, but she knew he'd come back sooner than anyone wanted to think about. She was damn well going to be prepared when he did.

 _ **ZIZI**_

They had been stuck for a little while before they'd managed to find an opening in the portal. Zizi and Bax tumbled out together now. Bax automatically wrapped his arms around her and absorbed the impact with his back, a gesture that was uncharacteristically sweet of the jerk.

Zizi got to her feet and offered him her hand. Bax stood up and dusted himself off. "You okay?" He asked her.

"Yeah. You?" Zizi asked.

"I'll live... Thanks to you." He offered her a genuine smile for once. "That was _insane._ What the _fuck_ just happened? I mean, there were actual _dragons_ in the base!"

"It was an aspect of Serafine... One who's not a teenager. She apparently has her powers fully unlocked. I guess Zell fucked up by kidnapping Serafine's baby sister."

"Great _. Now_ what happens? Where the hell _are_ we?"

"I have no idea, Bax. I was too busy trying to get us out of there to pay much attention to where we were heading."

"Come on... Let's explore." He offered her his arm. Zizi reluctantly took it. They'd be less conspicuous if they looked like a couple out for a stroll.

Zizi looked around. "Temples…" She said, pointing toward structures in the distance. "Bax, I think we're in Athens."

"Greece? How the hell did we land in Greece?" He asked.

"No idea… Everything was falling apart around us, and even Zell's magic went haywire… There was no real way to tell where we were going to end up with him in such bad shape… But, the good news is, there are Rebels in Athens."

"We're part of the Alliance, Zi. We can't just ask the Rebels to help us. Vitella said-"

"We're still part of the Rebellion… And what other choice do we have?"

"Well, since we have no way to contact the Rebels yet, let's get a room. There's got to be a hotel around here somewhere…" He looked around uselessly, like he expected a hotel to manifest out of thin air.

Zizi rolled her eyes. She marched toward a man and used her best Southern drawl to ask, "Excuse me, Mister, but my boyfriend here got us lost and he's just too darn proud to ask for directions. See, we're not from around here… Obviously," she giggled, blinking at him innocently. She knew he was charmed as soon as he smiled at her.

"Ah, young lovers from… America, yes?" He asked.

"Yes Sir! We're from Savannah, Georgia… It's great, but nothing like this place. It's _beautiful_ here! Anyway, we're sort of backpacking across the world without too many plans… Seeing where life takes us, you know? I don't suppose you can point us in the direction of a nice hotel?"

"Of _course!_ Right down the road is a beautiful hotel called the _Athens Estates._ It is the finest hotel in all of Greece… Always booked! Maybe you will get lucky and they'll have a room available. Just follow this road for half a mile."

"Thank you, Mister!" Zizi said. "Come on, Sugar, let's go," she added to Bax.

Bax smirked at her as soon as they were out of sight. "Sugar, huh?" He teased her.

"Oh, shut up. Lesson Number One of Infiltrating Earth… No man can resist a Southern Belle in distress," she said.

"What's Lesson Number Two?"

"Play dumb. Men like to believe they're smarter than women, so they tend to underestimate a charming woman… It makes it a lot easier to get what you want."

"Kind of down on men there, Zi."

"They're my mother's rules… But that doesn't mean she was wrong. It wasn't easy for her to gain power or respect in the Rebellion. Back when she joined, women never rose above the rank of Lieutenant. She was the first to accomplish it."

"Your mom was a fucking _legend_ , Zizi."

"My mom was a fucking _sociopath…_ But yeah, she did accomplish a couple of pretty badass things in her time."

"Why do you hate her so much?"

"It's hard to love someone who can't feel the emotion herself."

"She loved Rupi."

"She _tolerated_ Rupi… She felt obligated to take care of him because he was her baby brother and he didn't have anyone else. She basically raised him… But that bond came from before."

"Before what?"

"Just… _Before._ " Zizi closed her eyes, refusing to let herself wonder if her mother had been as different as Rupi claimed before she'd lost everything. Rupi had been blindly loyal to his sister, so it was hard to say for sure.

"Check it out… Nice," Bax said, pointing to a gorgeous hotel.

"Not bad," Zizi admitted.

They walked into the hotel. As they reached the front desk, Bax turned on the charm. "Hello, Darlin'," he said with a fairly convincing Southern drawl of his own. "We're tourists… From America!" He grinned at the front desk clerk stupidly, playing the part of a foolish redneck pretty well.

The woman working at the front desk smiled at them. "May I help you?" She asked.

"Yes, Ma'am! We'd like to know if you have any vacancies."

She nodded. "We have exactly one room available… The _honeymoon suite,_ so to speak! I assume that will do?"

"Absolutely!"

She nodded, accepting the credit card Bax offered to her, then put them in the system and handed them a room key. Bax took it and offered her a final smile. He motioned for Zizi to follow him.

"No way. I am _not_ sharing a room with you," Zizi said firmly.

"Come on, Zi. They only _have_ one room," Bax said. "You saved my ass… You can't hate me _that_ much."

"I saved your life because you were completely defenseless and it wouldn't have been right to leave you there… I'm _not_ my mother… But that doesn't mean I like you."

"Alright. You're welcome to sleep in the street." He smirked at her.

Zizi sighed. " _Fine._ But we're _not_ sharing a bed, and if any of your anatomy makes its way toward me uninvited, I _will_ cut it off."

Bax laughed. "You _are_ your mother's daughter. I'll behave, Zizi. I promise."

They reached the room. Zizi immediately manifested a second bed. "That's better," she said. She looked around. The room really _was_ beautiful, with décor themed to Greek mythology.

"Not bad," Bax said, looking at their surroundings. "You can shower first, since I assume you don't want to shower together."

"Ever the gentleman, Bax," she said, rolling her eyes. She headed into the bathroom, ready to wash away the blood and ash on her body. She'd kept a glamour up to prevent the locals from seeing what they really looked like, but she had to admit, she'd been dying to clean up.

 _Clean up, get some rest, then find the Greeks,_ she thought. _Zell's hurt… But eventually, he'll expect us to join him again._ She knew she needed to make use of this small window of time before she had to go deep undercover again.

 _ **KENNY**_

He felt like he was dying. The more Sage tried to get into his mind, the more it attacked him. He screamed as the pain increased. Still, Kenny couldn't turn back now. He had to know if they were telling him the truth.

Finally, Sage connected to him fully. Kenny suddenly felt everything shifting in his mind. Things came back to him in a frantic rush. Growing up with Kimberly, not Kat, as his mother… His father, pushing him along with his coach in gymnastics and keeping him from resting or eating… His father hitting him, over and over, when no one was there to see it… His mother, covering up the fact that he was hitting her, too… Becoming a Power Ranger and finding out the truth about his mother's past… Katie, taking on his father to protect him and then running away to Japan to be with Jayden while the criminal charges blew over… His friends, the Power Rangers, fighting at his side… Losing his Power Coin to Tye and losing a lot more so she could steal it… Getting his powers back at the cost of Casey's life… Saving Angie… Falling in love… Watching Rita sacrifice herself to save him and her daughter… Kat possessing Katie… Tommy getting kidnapped… Rangers coming from all over just to help save him… His mother marrying Billy… The big battle and all of the lives which were lost… Katie, trying to kill him…

He sobbed hysterically, unable to deal with all of the emotions hitting him… Especially as he thought about Katie. She'd been his protector and best friend for so long… And then, she'd lost her mind and turned evil, betraying them all. He couldn't breathe.

"Kenny… Stay with me," Sage said urgently.

"She tried… She… She said…" Kenny said softly before letting out a whimper.

"I know, Kenny… I know how much this hurts… But you have to remember. Once you do, you'll break my aunt's spell."

"Katie…" He sobbed, his voice cracking.

"I'm so sorry, Kenny… I know how much you loved her… But Katie hadn't been Katie in a while by the time she betrayed us."

He stared at Sage with tears in his eyes. "Sage… I remember," he said softly. He was drowning in his emotions, but his mind was becoming clear. Reality was coming back to him. He wanted to hug her, but he remembered he was in a meditation and had no control over his body.

"That's it, Kenny… We're almost done here," Sage said.

"My mom… I… I have to apologize…"

"Shhh… Kim's not mad, Kenny. She understands you were under a spell. Just stay with me… Remember the rest…"

Kenny suddenly saw what happened after Katie's betrayal. He remembered everything, including his mother going missing and Billie being born.

"Billie…" He whispered. "Oh my God… I have a baby sister…"

"You do," Sage confirmed. "And she's the cutest thing ever."

"I have to be myself again… I have to protect her…"

"You will, Kenny. You're a great big brother."

"Help me, Sage… Please…"

"I'm already doing that," Sage said. "You're doing great, Kenny… Your mind is healing, and Aunt Kat's spell is broken… She doesn't have a hold on you anymore."

Kenny hugged her in relief, an odd sensation in his astral form. Still, it was comforting. Moments later, he returned to awareness in his body. Sage looked exhausted but was smiling at him warmly. He hugged her for real before turning toward his mother.

"Mom… I'm so sorry," Kenny said desperately.

"Don't you dare apologize for this," his mother said. She hugged him tightly. "I love you so much, Kenny… I'm sorry Kat did this to you."

"You're the best mother anyone could ever have, and I can't believe I let that… that _bitch_ convince me I was hers."

"Kat's magic is powerful, Kenny… I'm just grateful they didn't turn you. Being evil isn't fun."

He looked at her questioningly. "How would _you_ know?"

She smiled mysteriously. "Let's just say that Jason and I had an adventure with Divatox after we were technically retired… But it all worked out alright in the end."

"So I haven't heard all of your stories yet?"

"Definitely not… But maybe I'll tell you soon."

He smiled before turning toward Angie. "Ang… Thank you," he whispered. He hugged her next. "You saved me."

"I just trusted you not to let a monster hurt me," Angie said. " _You_ did the hard work."

"I love you." He kissed her. Angie kissed him back, visibly relaxing as he held her close.

When he finally pulled away from Angie, Kenny looked at Sage. "So," he said, "what did I miss?"

"Zeke's in charge," Sage said with a grin.

"Zeke, huh?" He raised an eyebrow at that. "Well, it's about time."

Together, they walked toward David's house, where dinner and the safety of his sanctuary of a home waited for them. Kenny was back, but that didn't mean he was ready to jump back into things. He needed a day or so to recover. In the meantime, it was nice to be somewhere safe, with three of the people he loved more than anything.

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _This was a bit of a transitional chapter as things are briefly calming down for everyone. I promise there will be more action coming soon as the story continues, the Rangers and other Rebels come to Angel Grove, and the Alliance rebuilds itself. It may take me a little while to post the next chapter because it is NaNoWriMo time and I'm trying to work on a novel this month. I'm not sure the Muses for this fic will allow me to be distracted for long, however, so a new chapter may come quicker than I think. See you guys soon._


	22. Chapter 22

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _I'm back! Thanks for being patient. If you want to read the backstory of Jeirmi and Eloise, check out_ Tales from the Rebellion, _Chapter Ten,_ Timeless. _A lot of the newer characters mentioned in this chapter who are from Eltar tie back to the Rebellion stories, including Stone and the people he mentions. I'll do my best to give brief recaps so you understand what's going on even if you didn't read those stories. On a similar note, if you read_ Go, Go, Wildcats, _you're about to see some familiar faces..._

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**  
 _ **ALEX**_  
He watched his prisoner as he began to stir. Blood was caked onto his body, head, and hair. Bruises and cuts covered nearly every inch of exposed flesh, and there were more underneath his shredded t-shirt. Wes raised his head slowly before trying to fight against the ropes binding him to the chair.

"It's no _use,_ Wes," Alex taunted him. "You try every day, and you never get anywhere. Even if you could loosen the ropes, you're still handcuffed.

"Alex, _why_ are you _doing_ this?" Wes asked. "What did he offer you to make you betray the team?"

"In exchange for my services, I get to destroy _you,_ Wes. After all, you destroyed my entire life. It's only fair."

"You've lost your mind..." Wes mumbled, shaking his head.

Alex punched Wes in his side, making his already severely wounded ancestor cry out in pain. He began to beat him again, taking out all of his rage with his fists. Only when Wes passed out did Alex step outside of the prison.

Zell sent a communication to him using the technology Alex had given him. "My dear boy, I have need of your services," he said.

"Of course, Great Zell," Alex said. "What can I do for you?"

"I fear that a _problem_ has fallen into the time you're in. His name is Jeirmi, and he is an Eltarian with the power to walk the time line. I had trapped him outside of it, but it seems my current injured state caused a ripple in that place and he has found his way back into time. You must find him and prevent him from encountering the Rebels."

"Sure, that's easy enough. I'll just trap him with Wes," Alex said.

"He is wounded. Keep him that way, or he will use his power to escape."

"No problem."

"Remember, my boy... Be careful. If anyone from that time suspects why you are there, you will fail as the one who came before you."

"I won't fail, Great Zell. I know the rules of time travel, remember? Besides, she was a fool."

"She was, but at the time, she had earned the opportunity to prove herself. Do _not_ make her mistakes, Alex."

As Alex began to search for Jeirmi, he had a bad feeling. He spotted a pretty, bouncy teenage girl with blonde hair crossing the street. She looked perfectly ordinary as she cheerfully chatted with her ditzy friends. It was clear she was incredibly popular. She didn't seem to have a care in the world. Then, suddenly, she looked up as if she sensed something.

"Sorry, guys," she said casually to her friends. "I've gotta motor."

"I thought we were going to the movies," one of her friends protested.

"I just remembered that there's something I'm supposed to be doing... _Family_ stuff," she added with a roll of her eyes.

"Okay. We'll catch you later, I guess," the friend said. She walked away with the other girls.

The blonde began walking quickly toward an alley. Alex decided to follow her. That was when he realized he'd screwed up.

A man lay motionless on the ground. His head was bleeding. "Oh my God!" The girl cried. "Mister, are you okay? This looks, like, _really_ bad..." She seemed to realize the man was unconscious then. She immediately pulled some sort of kit out of her bag. She started taking care of his wounds before pulling out a stone of some sort. She tapped it twice before saying firmly, "Laby."

 _Shit!_ Alex thought.

"What's up, Tiff?" Laby responded through the stone.

"Laby, there's a man in an alley... He's _really_ hurt... And he's Eltarian," Tiffani said.

"Eltarian? Do we _know_ him?" Laby asked.

"I don't recognize him, but _you_ know a lot more Eltarians than _I_ do," Tiffani pointed out.

"I'll track you and be right there. Hang tight, Beautiful."

 _Kill the girl and take Jeirmi,_ Alex thought. He knew he couldn't do that, however. Tiffani was meant to die a few months later, horrifically, at the hands of her father. Alex couldn't risk killing her early. He considered abducting her, but he knew Labyrinth wouldn't stop until he found her, and Alex had already been warned that he couldn't take Laby in a fight. He would just have to watch them and see what happened next.

Laby arrived a short time later. He froze when he saw Jeirmi in the alley. "I'll be Goddamned..." Laby mumbled.

"Laby? Do you recognize him?" Tiffani asked.

"That's Jeirmi... He and his girl Eloise vanished on Eltar a _long_ time ago... We all assumed they were dead. They could run through the time line, and Zell _hated_ people who could do that. I wonder if Ellie's nearby... Did you see a hyperactive redhead around?" Laby asked.

"No, just this Jeirmi guy."

Laby nodded. "He's pretty hurt. We need to get him to Mama Ama."

"Should we be moving him? I think that's too risky."

Laby considered this. "You're right. Call Ama and tell her to meet us here."

A short while later, the Sorceress Amareese appeared. "Oh, dear... He _is_ injured," she mumbled before setting to work on healing him.

Laby pulled out his communication stone and said, "Jaybert!"

"What is it, Laby?" Jaybert answered.

"Jay, I think we've got a problem," Laby said. "A time traveling Eltarian I thought was dead just popped back up... Tiff found him. He's seriously injured, but Amareese is working on healing him now."

" _More_ time travelers? Was the man we captured not enough?"

"We don't know for sure that he's from another time, Jay. It's not like he gives us any answers when you try to torture them out of him..."

Alex realized they were talking about the Phantom Ranger, although they wouldn't discover his true identity for a few more months.

"His energy feels wrong in this time," Jaybert said. "Regardless, bring the Eltarian to me. If he is a friend, we will help him regain his health and send him to Garron. If he's not, we will keep him prisoner."

"We will _not,"_ Laby said firmly. "Jeirmi's a good guy, Jay. I'm sure he landed here by accident because of how injured he is. There hasn't been so much as a trace of him or Eloise since they vanished when Zell was still around. He's probably responsible for this."

"You believe the Great Wizard attacked them?"

"I think he wanted them both out of the way and was too arrogant to consider they might survive his attack."

"Laby... I do not think it is wise to make an enemy of the Great Wizard," Jaybert said cautiously.

"He's _dead,_ Jay. What could he possibly do to us?"

Alex knew Laby knew better than that. Given his abilities, Zell could easily come from the past and kill them. He also knew Laby probably suspected Zell would come back one day, but might not be willing to consider it. Laby was more traumatized than possibly anyone else Alex had ever heard of. Alex figured that happened when someone was immortal and kept having to watch everyone he loved die. He had no idea what would become of Laby after the slaughter in a few months. The shapeshifter had completely vanished from the grid. No mention of him could be found in the files for the next thirty years until he resurfaced in Angel Grove.

Suddenly, a girl cried out in alarm, "Like, watch where you're _driving_ in that sad excuse for a car!" She shouted.

"Oh, no..." Tiffani whispered. She clearly recognized the voice.

Alex moved so he could see who was talking. A girl sat in the middle of the street covered in dirt. "Ugh! Grody to the max..." She mumbled.

A boy extended his hand to her, causing her to look up. "Lee!" She cried in relief, allowing Lee Scott to help her to her feet.

"Are you okay, Ronnie? I saw what happened from down the block," Lee said.

"I'm okay _now_ ," she replied with a smile. "My hero."

Lee laughed. "I'm no hero, Ronnie," he said.

 _You_ will _be,_ Alex thought. Lucas and Cassie would be arriving any day now and Lee would become the leader of the Wildcats. Alex _had_ to leave Tiger's Bluff and 1989 _before_ that happened.

"Like, I'm _so_ sure, Mr. Humble," Ronnie teased him.

"Did you _bother_ to get his license plate?" A girl asked dryly as she arrived with a boy and a girl Alex recognized.

 _B'Danna and Draze,_ he registered. The punk rock girl looked too much like the fallen cheerleader for Alex not to realize she must be Ronnie's twin sister, Roxy.

"Like, I was kind of busy trying not to _die,_ Rox," Ronnie replied, flipping her hair in frustration. "He came speeding like he was _trying_ to hit me or something."

Roxy shook her head. "What an asshole... Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine... Just covered in dirt..." Ronnie sighed.

"Maybe I should take her home... Bea, do you mind if I bail?" Roxy asked.

"It's fine," B'Danna replied. "There's something I need to handle anyway."

"Cool. Later, Dave," Roxy said as she and Lee walked away with Ronnie.

Seconds later, a knife was pressed to Alex's throat. "Choose your words _very_ carefully, Time Traveler," B'Danna said. "Why were you watching us from the shadows?"

Alex hadn't thought she'd noticed him. It took him a moment to recover from his shock. In that time, Draze gently said, "Beatrice..." He was sticking to her cover name.

" _Answer_ me," she demanded, but she pulled the knife away from his throat.

"I'm Alex," he said. "I'm here on a mission from the Great Wizard of Eltar."

"Then you're _no_ friend of _ours,"_ she replied sharply.

"You don't dress like you're from the past," Draze commented. "The Great Wizard has been dead for millennia."

"Here's probably here to clean up Zell's mess," Laby said as he stepped out of the alley. "You should walk away, Friend. Because there's no way in _hell_ I'm letting you get anywhere _near_ Jeirmi."

Alex knew he was in more trouble than he could handle. He hit the panic button on his communication device. It automatically teleported him back to Wes.

"Shit... Shit, I just _seriously_ screwed up!" He said in a panic. What was he going to do? If he failed as Divatox had, Zell would kill him. "I'm out of time," he decided aloud. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Luckily, Alex was a hell of a good shot.

He took his gun and went in search of Bradley Drew.

 _ **SAGE**_  
She was finally heading home from the Reservation and had nearly made it. The last thing Sage expected was for a person to fall out of thin air and land at her feet.

She couldn't stop to ponder what the hell was going on because the girl was bleeding severely. Sage immediately began to heal her throat, which had been slashed open. She sensed something in her energy and realized the girl was pregnant, although _she_ probably didn't know that yet. Sage took care to ensure the baby was safe as well.

The girl slowly opened her eyes. "Holy smokes! Sage!" She cried.

"Um... Do I know you?" Sage asked in confusion.

"Not yet, but you _will,"_ she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I'm Eloise... Eloise Loren Parker. My friends call me Ellie."

"Okay, Eloise or Ellie... Who slashed your throat?"

"The Great Wizard."

Sage tensed. "I thought Zell was still too injured to do this sort of harm..."

"Oh, he probably _is,"_ Eloise said. "He slashed my throat several millennia ago and tossed me into the realm outside of the timeline like trash. _Rude,_ right?"

Sage took a deep breath, trying to follow what Eloise was saying. "Okay... So, how do you know Zell?"

"Well, see, I was raised on Earth in the 1920s... I was _totally_ a flapper. The thing is, I'm half-Eltarian, and I had the power to skip through the timeline. That's how I met... Oh my gosh, _where_ is Jeirmi? Or _when?_ What if he did this to him, too? I have to find hi-"

"Ellie, slow _down,"_ Sage said soothingly.

"Jeirmi... The love of my life... He was with me when we saw Zell kill a prophet. He hadn't realized we were on to him until then. Anyway, Jeirmi and I had been trying to stop him. We knew what the future held, here in Angel Grove... There were hardly any survivors... We traveled there by accident. You were there, along with Laby, Lady Eleanor, and a few others... The last of those willing and able to fight. Everyone else was dead, evil, or missing."

Sage stared at her. "What?" She asked softly.

"Zell won. Some guy helped him become unstoppable... Logan, I think you guys called him."

Sage felt like her heart stopped for a second. "Logan... Pierce's _brother_ Logan?"

"I guess so. Zell convinced him to turn evil, and they destroyed Angel Grove. Probably the rest of the world, too. We didn't have much time to explore." She paused. "Do you have any food? I'm _starving._ Being stuck outside of the timeline bleeding to death without dying for several millennia makes a girl hungry!"

Sage was overwhelmed, but she couldn't deny there was something charming about this hyper girl who'd been suffering for millennia and somehow seemed fairly unscathed by the entire ordeal.

"I'll bring you somewhere safe," she promised.

"But Jeirmi... I need to find him," Eloise said.

"There are Eltarians here. Some of them are pretty ancient. They might have answers about Jeirmi."

"Oh! Is Laby around? Or Lady Eleanor? They both survived the apocalypse when we were in the future. Maybe they can help me!" She merrily skipped ahead, so Sage began leading her in the right direction.

"Both of them are in town. Lady Eleanor stays with her team of Power Rangers, the Ranger Guard."

"The Ranger Guard?" Eloise paused. "That's impossible. By this point, I think only Stone is still alive... If I remember our travels correctly."

"Zordon gave the morphers to a team in this time. He found them after the Stone Warriors had their big battle... Zell had hidden them."

Eloise visibly paled. "Oh, no..." She said softly. "This is _bad,_ Sage. Very, _very_ bad. Those morphers were _meant_ to stay lost." She shook her head. "We have to warn them... They're in horrible danger."

"Explain what you mean, please," Sage said. "I'm pretty attached to that team. In fact, my son's girlfriend is their leader."

"You have a son who's old enough to date a Power Ranger... Time travel?" Eloise guessed.

"Exactly. What danger are they in, Eloise?"

"There were prophecies about them. The first predicted who they would be. The details probably match up with the current team, or they wouldn't be able to use the morphers... But after that prophecy was discovered, Zell made sure they could _never_ be whole. He killed poor Crissy, who was the gentlest thing... He literally stole _all_ of her life force so she could never reincarnate. She used to make tulpas. Her boyfriend apparently stopped speaking after she died, not that he spoke much _before_ that..."

"Allie and Freddy..." Sage said softly as an impossible thought came to her. "The whole team might not be reincarnations of the originals, but... Freddy and Allie were the most surprising people Zordon chose. Freddy's an ordinary guy... He's a hell of a bass player, but as far as we know, he's not Eltarian and has no powers. It was his strong heart and willingness to do _anything_ to protect the others that earned him his spot... But Allie..." Sage shook her head. "I had wondered how a tulpa could become real. Her sister, who made her, gave all of her power to Allie so she could become real, but it started happening before that. Allie started changing after she met Freddy. What if Freddy somehow connected to Crissy's boyfriend and Crissy attached a slither of herself to her boyfriend? And then, when Allie met Freddy, maybe Crissy was able to latch on to the supposedly empty vessel so she could come back?" She shook her head.

"Whoa... That's intense, but I'm following. Who else is on the team?"

"Mena, Zordon's cousin, is the Blue Ranger. She's the reincarnation of Ash's girlfriend from Eltar."

"Medira... Who was the Blue Ranger on that team." Eloise nodded. "Great. She's actually _meant_ to have that morpher, so she's probably the strongest and safest one on the team. Stone's alive, so whoever got his morpher probably wasn't meant to. Stone is powerful enough to rival Zell... If his little brother Talon had survived, Zell probably would have been destroyed by them."

Sage sighed. "I have a feeling that's Logan's morpher. He's from the current set of brothers from the prophecy about Zell and Elgan. He's also the older one. He has fire powers like Zell."

"Fire was _Talon's_ thing. Stone has water magic. I'm surprised Logan's morpher even works for him."

"His younger brother is the one with the water magic. He's actually pretty gifted. He's a Shaman, too... A baby Shaman for now, but he's pulled off some pretty impressive things, and he's only going to get stronger."

They arrived at the house Lady Eleanor was set up in. It was attached to the house where they'd set up the Stone Warriors so Greg and his grandmother weren't too far apart.

The door opened and Lady Eleanor stepped out onto the porch. She nodded at Sage before her eyes went wide.

"Eloise?" She asked.

"It's me," Eloise confirmed.

"Eloise Loren Parker, _where_ have you _been?_ Eltar declared you legally dead millennia ago!"

"The rumors of my death have been _greatly_ exaggerated," Eloise said with a straight face. "Ah, Paul McCartney... The best thing about the 1960s was _definitely_ the music!"

Lady Eleanor began to examine Eloise closely. "You have been healed," she observed.

"A certain not-so-Great Wizard slashed my throat and stuck me outside of the timeline. I only just found my way through," Eloise explained. "It was like there was this massive hiccough in that realm, and then suddenly, I fell through. Unfortunately, as soon as I did, I almost died. Thank God I ran into Sage!"

"Zell was critically wounded by dragons," Sage explained. "That must have been what freed you."

"Lady Eleanor... Where's Jeirmi?" Eloise asked nervously.

"I'm sorry, Eloise," Lady Eleanor replied. "Jeirmi _also_ vanished that day. I do not know what became of him."

"I need to find him... He could be hurt," Eloise said softly. Sage knew she was worried it was more than that.

"First, you need food," Sage reminded her.

"Right. I forgot about that..."

"Come inside, dear," Lady Eleanor said. "I'll make you something to eat." Lady Eleanor might be the scariest woman on Earth or Eltar at times, but she was _still_ a grandmother.

"Thanks," Eloise replied as she and Sage followed Lady Eleanor into the house. "We need to talk anyway... About your Rangers."

"The children? What is it?" Lady Eleanor asked.

"They're in danger. Those morphers are _cursed._ You have to _warn_ them. They could die, or worse! Especially since one of them turns evil in the future and helps Zell destroy the world and-"

"Cursed? Evil? Eloise, slow down and explain."

Eloise told Lady Eleanor what she'd told Sage. Lady Eleanor cooked as she listened in silence. Finally, she said, "I was _worried_ Logan would become a problem for us."

"You were?" Sage asked in surprise.

"Logan likes to pretend he was never Neptune, and for Mena's sake as well as Nessa's, I allow it... But I am well aware of what the Rebels trained him to be."

"And what was that?" Eloise asked.

"An assassin," Lady Eleanor replied. "A very talented one who never missed a mark. On their order, he even killed the Prime Minister... Mena's _father._ It is difficult, but I have given him the benefit of the doubt. I see his intentions are good and he feels remorse for the things he did while under their control... However, it would not be difficult for Zell to use the turmoil Logan refuses to face against him." She sighed. "Please understand, I trust Logan is worthy of being a Power Ranger, and he wants to atone for his past actions, but that doesn't mean Zell wouldn't be able to send him back to that dark place."

"Logan has Pierce and Chelsea to keep him from turning evil," Sage said. "He's not as vulnerable as Zell might think."

"Sure, but... He turns evil in _one_ version of the future, Sage. Something must happen to the people keeping him from losing himself to the darkness," Eloise said. After a pause, she added, "Stone struggled against his dark side, too. I'm sure he can help Logan. Do you know how to reach him?"

"Stone is an elder on Eltar," Lady Eleanor said. "He still lives in seclusion in the mountains, coming out only when the people of Eltar are in dire need of his assistance. I suppose I can ask Anise to contact him."

Suddenly, a bit of knowledge flashed through Sage's mind. _He's part of the Rebellion and no one who's not suspects him,_ she realized. That was pretty impressive. She didn't get the sense that he was evil, and Sage was slowly realizing that _most_ of the Rebels weren't. They were simply fed-up with a corrupt government who slaughtered them if they tried to speak up. She couldn't blame them. If she had been Eltarian, she probably would have joined, too. As horrible as some of their actions were, it seemed like they were understandable at times.

"I know what became of the intended Guardians," Lady Eleanor said after a minute. "Cristalia's energy was completely destroyed. Zell claimed she tried to create a tulpa that was too powerful for her and had destroyed her own energy. I believe Allie and Cristalia are the same person. As a tulpa, Allie made the perfect vessel for Cristalia's energy to find a way back. Freddy, bless him, reminds me deeply of Zerry. I believed he was his reincarnation, or at least a descendant. Now, however, I think it's more that Zerry is attached to him somehow. I have not told the boy. I believed that a destiny too tragic to bear. No one knows what became of Zerry, but I suspect he may have taken his own life in his grief. I could not doom Freddy to such a burden. Mena is Medira reincarnated. That much has been confirmed. She died in her sleep from a rather suspicious illness. Van is much like Ley. Watching him with Scott is like watching Ley and Mahk back from the dead. I believe their spirits attached themselves to the boys. They must be protecting them. Both of them were part of the Rebellion, and were killed in the protest..." Lady Eleanor looked a bit pale. She didn't elaborate.

"Protest? Like the hippies would hold? Or union workers? Oooh, what happened?" Eloise asked excitedly.

"A young woman was executed for High Treason. The earliest incarnation of the Rebellion of Eltar took issue with it. They staged what was meant to be a peaceful protest. I was not present, but they turned violent and the Guard was forced to take action. Over a hundred lives were lost. It was a horrible waste, and for _what?_ It was a senseless slaughter, and the Rebels only turned more violent after that," Lady Eleanor explained.

Sage had a feeling that the official version of events was not the full story. She could feel the souls of those Rebels. They'd died horrifically, in a storm of bullets. None of them had been armed, and the protest had truly been peaceful. That event had cost Laby his parents. It had taken the lives of innocent men, women, and children, and it had been the event which sparked the Rebellion becoming violent.

"Lady Eleanor... The Guard lied," Sage said.

Lady Eleanor, to her shock, did not attack her for that comment. "The events of that day never sat right with me," she admitted. "Matthew and I would never have followed that order. I believe that is why Mayor Freyst kept us occupied elsewhere that day."

"This is better than a Shakespearian drama," Eloise said, eating up the story.

"Back to the Ranger Guard... The final one to perish was Eltara," Lady Eleanor said. Now, she looked even _more_ haunted. Sage could feel millennia of grief coming off of her.

"Who was she?" Sage asked.

"Eltara of Eltar was the fiercest, most passionate young woman I have ever met. She was raised by the Guard after being abandoned on the steps of the Counsel building. I was never given the opportunity to train her, but I knew what a brave warrior she was. She did fight at my side in a few battles, and I was quite impressed with her. In some ways, B'Danna reminded me of her when she was a young girl on Eltar. I think that is part of why I got so involved in her training. That, and I knew something was wrong at home, but the girl refused to let me help her..." She shook her head. "Eltara, unknown to the Guard, joined the Rebellion. I do not know what caused her to do that, but she was involved in a horrible slaughter. She killed many that day... She assassinated several members of the Guard, the very people who had raised her... Until she had to face me. I demanded to know why she had done such a thing, and she told me the ones she'd killed had been corrupt people who hurt her as a child, and likely others. I believed her... Something in her eyes was too honest for me to doubt. I convinced her to lower her weapons so I could help her be cleared of the charges, but someone saw her beside me and the fool killed her. I tried to save her, but there was nothing I could do."

Sage had never seen Lady Eleanor look so haunted. _There's more to this,_ she thought. For whatever reason, Eltara was important to Lady Eleanor. Sage filed that information away for later, deciding it might benefit her to track Eltara's spirit down and ask her why.

"Who is she connected to on your young team?" Eloise asked.

"Nessa," Lady Eleanor replied. "And sometimes, that girl reminds me of Eltara so strongly, I nearly forget they are not the same person."

"Is she her reincarnation?" Eloise asked.

"I do not believe so... Nessa shares many traits with Eltara, but as with Van, I think it is because Eltara's spirit latched on to the girl."

"What about Stone? How is he?"

"As I said, Stone is alive and well on Eltar. He shows himself as needed, but often remains alone. He was never the most sociable, and after he lost his brother, he seemed to decide to remain in seclusion whenever possible." Lady Eleanor shook her head. "Logan fears his darkness just as Stone, like you said. He is also a loving older brother who would do anything to protect the younger one."

"If they are not all the same souls as the original Ranger Guard members, they weren't meant for those morphers, Lady Eleanor. They're in terrible danger."

"I believe the children _are_ meant to be a team of Power Rangers. Zordon is not wrong about that. They function best as a unit."

"I never said they weren't supposed to be a team... But maybe Zell made sure they were given the _wrong_ morphers. Maybe their _real_ powers remain hidden somewhere."

Sage felt the truth in Eloise's insane claim. "I'll talk to Mena. She has the power to find things. If anyone can find the morphers they're meant to have, it's Mena," she said.

"Lady Eleanor... Call your team," Eloise said. "They need to know this before it's too late."

"Very well," Lady Eleanor agreed as she set food down in front of both Eloise and Sage. "Eat. I'll tell the children to come here at once." She walked away.

"I have a bad feeling..." Sage admitted aloud. She knew everything was about to come to a head. "I've got to handle something, but I'll be back later." With that, she left to head home, meditate, and try to figure out what was going on.

 _ **NESSA**_  
The members of the Ranger Guard were on their way to their mentor when someone appeared in their path. "How lovely... Someone to kill," she taunted them.

"Who the hell are _you?"_ Nessa demanded.

"I am Neighbelle, Great Sorceress of Eltar!" The woman declared.

"I find that Eltarians who refer to themselves as _great_ are typically the opposite," Nessa replied casually. "What is it you want from us?"

"Oh, nothing much. You simply have something which belongs to us."

"Nessa, step back," Van advised softly.

"Why?" Nessa asked.

"Neighbelle's one of the traitors from New Jersey. Raff told me the story of what happened to Captain Smith's family. Neighbelle played a huge part in it. She's powerful. Her magic rivals Kizzie's at times."

"Kizzie is _weak,"_ Neighbelle said. "I'll destroy her soon."

"That's unlikely," Logan said.

Neighbelle smiled at him. "Look at _you!_ Such a lovely specimen," she said. She reached toward him.

Nessa grabbed Neighbelle's arm before she could touch Logan's face. "Hands to _yourself,_ bitch," she said. She snapped Neighbelle's hand at the wrist, breaking it cleanly and causing Neighbelle to scream in pain. She clutched it before beginning to heal herself.

Two others showed themselves then. "Hello, Children," one said. "Just give us what we want and no one will get hurt."

"Micah and Estos..." Van realized aloud. "Where Neighbelle goes, so do they. They're the other two traitors."

"Yes, I am Micah," the one who'd already spoken said. "It is nice to know my reputation proceeds me. If you know our tale, you know how dangerous we are. Surrender the boy and survive."

" _What_ boy?" Mena asked softly.

"The only one of you our Great Wizard would have any interest in... The Assassin."

Logan tensed. "I don't do that anymore," he said firmly.

"You're not getting anywhere _near_ Logan," Nessa said. "You'll have to go through _all_ of us."

"Oh, goody," Neighbelle said. "I was _hoping_ you'd say that." She cast a spell and sent it straight at Nessa. Allie jumped in front of her, absorbing the blow and taking no damage from it.

"It's _not_ going to be that easy," Allie said sweetly.

"How did you do that?" Neighbelle demanded.

"I'm a superhero. I can do _anything,"_ Allie replied, smiling at Freddy. He smiled back at her. That was when Estos stabbed Freddy through his back. The sword came out of his chest.

"Freddy!" Allie shrieked. She immediately summoned one of her healing tulpas. Kneeling by Freddy's side, Allie sobbed as she held his hand.

"Are you okay, Big Man?" Nessa asked as the tulpa started healing Freddy. He gave her a weak thumbs up in response.

"Guys... I think we'd better morph," Van said.

"I concur," Mena replied. They quickly began to morph. Allie morphed but stayed by Freddy's side. He was still too injured to morph.

"Your pretty suits won't save you," Neighbelle taunted them. She began flinging magical attacks at them in quick succession. Nessa deflected as many as she could.

"Van, cover Freddy and Allie," she instructed.

"On it!" Van said, hurrying to their side. As Estos got too close, an army of tulps surrounded them and began to fight with Van. Allie didn't so much as look up or break a sweat.

"Amazing," Nessa mumbled with a grin.

Micah went straight for Mena. He hit her with a savage attack, doing obvious damage, but Mena fought back and stood her ground. Micah went in for what would surely be a fatal blow. Logan jumped in front of Mena, knocking her to safety before Micah's sword could impale her. She hit the ground hard and her morph dropped, but she didn't appear to be overly injured. She clutched her ankle in obvious pain and Nessa knew it was either sprained or broken. Logan's suit absorbed the hit from Micah's sword, sparking slightly, but his morph held.

"Careful, Logan," Nessa said as she helped Mena back to her feet. "I don't think that's a good sign." Mena leaned on Nessa, unable to put weight on her right foot.

"I'm okay," Logan promised, moving closer to them.

"Not for _long,"_ Micah said as he moved in for another kill strike.

Nessa met his sword with her own after quickly shifting Mena's weight to Logan. "Get Mena out of the line of fire," she told him. "I've got this."

Logan followed her orders and began quickly and carefully moving away with Mena. When he seemed to realize this was slowing him down, he scooped Mena up in his arms and carried her to safety.

"Stay here," he said loudly as he set her down beside Freddy, who'd finally recovered enough to morph. Even as she battled Micah, Nessa noticed that the healing tulpa had used up all of its energy and faded, but the warriors were still there. "Allie's tulpas and the others will keep you safe."

"We've got her," Van promised. "Go help Nessa."

Nessa was meeting every one of Micah's swings with one of her own. He never managed to get a hit in. If Estos and Neighbelle weren't still a threat, Nessa might have told Logan to just stay safe with the others, but she knew she needed backup.

Logan went straight for Estos before Estos could lunge at Nessa. He battled him impressively well. Estos was clearly a tactical expert in the Rebellion, but Logan had been trained as the fiercest assassin of the group. Nessa might not like to think about that, but it did come in handy in a fight. Logan easily kept Estos from getting the upper hand.

Nessa finally knocked Micah to the ground. He was seriously injured as her sword pierced his shoulder. He looked at her in shock before fleeing to safer ground.

Logan was about to make Estos flee, too, when a bolt of lightning struck at his feet. Neighbelle laughed as she summoned a storm. A second bolt hit Logan's morpher. His morph failed and Nessa watched in horror as he was electrocuted.

"Logan!" She cried. She ran to his side. So did Van, leaving Freddy to protect Allie and Mena.

Logan stared at her with cold, dead eyes. His facial expression was blank. "Logan? Are you hurt?" Nessa asked.

Logan responded tonelessly. "Who is Logan?" He asked.

Van tensed. "Nessa... Step away," he said softly, clearly trying to sound calm.

"Van, what the hell is going on?" Nessa asked.

"That's _not_ Logan," Van replied. "It's Neptune."

"What?"

"They used to electrocute him to keep him under their control. The shock from the lightning hitting the morpher must have triggered the programming."

"But Doctor Hope _broke_ his programming!"

"She did, but she didn't erase the trauma. His PTSD probably kicked in. Just... Don't get too close to him." Van dropped his morph. "Neptune, it's Van. Do you remember me?" He asked gently.

Logan... or Neptune... Looked at Van. "Vancello. I am ready for instructions," he said tonelessly. "Where is Raffitty?"

Nessa stared at him in shock. "Well, shit... This is bad," she mumbled.

"Neptune, listen to me... Raff in't here to provide any orders," Van said.

"Felina then."

"She's otherwise occupied."

"Your father?"

Van looked crushed. Nessa's heart broke for him. "He's not here either," he finally replied. "Captain Smith is in town. Let me bring you to him."

"Captain Smith is a _traitor,_ Neptune," Micah said, causing Neptune to look at him.

"Captain Smith would _never_ betray the Rebellion," Neptune replied firmly.

"Don't listen to him, Neptune. This man is a traitor and so are his friends," Van said.

Neptune looked a bit twitchy, like he wasn't sure who to believe. "I need Raff," he said. "Get me Raff."

Micah gave what Nessa recognized as the Rebellion salute before saying, _"Bizzeh mada alebastes!"_ He looked deep into Neptune's eyes and said, "Raffitty is dead, Neptune. Captain Smith betrayed him. These people are lying to you. They helped him do the horrible deed."

"No. Raffitty cannot die."

"Captain Smith knew the way... Feel out for him, Neptune. You'll know he is dead."

Suddenly, Neptune paled. "Traitor!" He shouted, attacking Van before Van could react. He flung him against a tree and began to choke him.

"Stop!" Allie cried, running toward them. "Logan, don't!"

Neptune ignored her. Allie dropped her morph. "Neptune... It's _me..._ It's _Allie._ Don't hurt Van!" She said as she tried to force her way between them.

Neptune tossed Allie aside like a rag doll. He didn't seem to even register what he'd done.

"Allie!" Freddy cried. He ran to her and helped her to her feet, ready to join the fight. Mena was still being protected by Allie's tulpas, so Nessa knew Allie hadn't been seriously injured. It was nearly impossible to do real harm to Allie in general, but it was still reassuring to see.

Nessa pulled out her sword. She put it to Neptune's throat. "Back. _Off,"_ she said harshly as Van looked like he was going to collapse.

Neptune released Van to round on Nessa. She'd been expecting that, and she did everything she could to avoid his attacks.

"Look, I _don't_ want to hurt you," Nessa said firmly, "but if I have to, I _will_."

Neptune responded by manifesting a gun out of thin air. He aimed it at her steadily, sizing her up.

Nessa refused to so much as flinch. She held her sword just as steady, ready to strike if needed and trying to figure out how to disarm him. "Guys... Call Captain Smith. Right now," she said, not taking her eyes off of Neptune.

Neptune moved so swiftly, no one saw it coming. He fired the gun at Van, hitting him in his side. Van bit back a scream as he sank to the ground. "I _don't_ miss," Neptune said harshly, making it clear he had intentionally spared Van from an instant death. " _Don't_ come after me." He began to walk away.

Nessa wanted to stop him, but she needed to stop Van from bleeding out. She focused on putting pressure on his wound.

"Neptune, _don't,"_ Allie begged him. "Don't leave us. I know you're confused. We can help you."

He hesitated for just a moment. In that time, Neighbelle made her move, sending more lightning his way. His morpher sparked again, and this time, the shock of it was worse. Neptune was left trembling and whimpering.

"How _dare_ you traitors attack him?" Estos demanded of Freddy, ironically the only member of the team with _no_ magic. Nessa realized too late what his tactical mind had come up with. He watched with satisfaction as Neptune fired a shot at Freddy.

In a terrifying instant, Freddy fell to the ground for the second time that day. The shot had hit his chest. There was too much blood and Nessa knew that, this time, Freddy was going to die.

"Freddy... Oh my _God_ , Freddy..." Allie whispered in shock.

"You _bastards_ are going to _pay_ for that!" Nessa shouted. After making sure Van was able to keep pressure on his wound, she stood with her sword at the ready.

"Neptune, come with us. We can bring you to Garron. He'll protect you and heal you," Estos promised.

"Don't listen to them, Neptune! They're the ones who killed Captain Smith's family!" Allie cried, heartbroken as she held onto Freddy and tried to save him, but also determined to save Logan. "They're working for Zell! You know Raff didn't want any part of that. And Garron's _dead_."

"Garron cannot be killed. You are _liars_... You are an impostor," Neptune told Allie.

"I'm me, I _swear."_

"Allie calls him _Uncle_ Raff."

Allie shook her head. "He lost that right when he attacked me... But I promise, I'm Allie." She used her coat to try to stop the bleeding from Freddy's chest. He looked at her sadly, clearly knowing how seriously he'd been injured.

Mena had somehow managed to limp over to them on her damaged ankle. She stared at Neptune now. "Logan... Listen to me," she said. "You are _not_ Neptune anymore. Neptune is _dead._ You are Logan, formerly Frankie, Pierce's _brother_."

"Pierce..." Neptune whispered. For just a second, Nessa thought Mena had gotten through to him.

A final jolt of electricity shot out of the morpher and straight into Neptune. His face returned to its vacant expression. "I await instructions," he said.

Micah showed him the Rebellion salute again. Then, he said, "You are to come with us. I am Micah, Captain of one of the Chapters of the Rebellion of Eltar. I will bring you to Raffitty."

Neighbelle opened a portal before anyone could react. Nessa rushed after them. She managed to knock Estos to the ground, but Neighbelle, Micah, and Neptune vanished into the portal. Estos pulled out a gun and aimed it at Nessa, but before he could even attempt to pull the trigger, she impaled him with her sword. She pulled it out swiftly, leaving him dead in seconds.

"Oh, God..." Mena whispered in horror as she seemed to realize they'd just lost Logan.

"Well, that went _horribly_..." Nessa mumbled. "Van, are you doing okay?"

"I... I think..." Van mumbled weakly. "Freddy..."

Mena sat beside Freddy as Allie held him tightly. Nessa knelt in front of him. The coat was soaked through with his blood. "Freddy..." She whispered. She had no words. Finally, she looked to Mena. "Call Greg. Have him teleport Andie and Pierce here. Maybe they can still save him." She was determined not to lose Freddy.

Mena immediately contacted him. Thirty seconds later, he arrived looking panicked. "Oh my God..." Andie whispered in horror. She and Pierce rushed to Freddy's side.

"What _happened?"_ Pierce asked.

"After," Nessa said firmly.

Working together, they tried to heal Freddy. As his eyes started to become unfocused, Pierce said, "Don't you _dare."_

Freddy stopped breathing. Allie let out a cry of despair. Mena tried to comfort her, but it was impossible.

"Andie... Heal Van," Pierce said.

"Pierce-" Andie began to protest.

"He's _dead_. But he didn't cross because he heard me say not to... You can't heal death, Andie... But _I_ can heal his spirit until that heals his body. Hope's not lost yet, but Van's bleeding out, too. Go."

Andie nodded. She knelt beside Van and began to heal him. Thankfully, his wound was easier to repair. "He wasn't trying to kill me," he said softly, clearly still in shock. "He's still in there."

"Who is?" Andie asked gently as she finished patching him up.

"Van, not yet," Nessa said as she examined him to make sure he was okay. "Let Pierce try to fix Freddy first."

Van nodded, seeming to understand. If Pierce realized what was going on with Logan, he'd be distracted, and Pierce was Freddy's only hope now.

"He's alive... He's _alive_ ," Allie insisted. When she'd saved Insu from dying, that tactic had worked for her, but it didn't seem to be fixing Freddy now.

"He'll be okay, Allie," Mena said soothingly. "Pierce is good at what he does."

"Mena... How bad is it?" Greg asked. He seemed to be looking around for someone. Softly, he added, "Where's Logan?"

Mena shook her head. "It's _very_ bad," was all she said in response.

Too many tense moments later, Freddy inhaled sharply and tried to sit up. "Easy, Buddy," Pierce said soothingly. "Don't move too quickly just yet."

"Freddy! Oh my God, are you okay? Are you... Are you _really_ back? _Say_ something!" Allie begged him as she wept.

"Ouch..." Was all Freddy offered in response. Allie flung her arms around his neck, sobbing harder before frantically checking his chest to reassure herself he was no longer injured.

Nessa released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Thank God..." She mumbled.

"Okay, now someone tell us what the fuck is going on," Pierce said. He paused before he added, "Where's my brother?"

"Pierce..." Mena said softly.

 _"Answer_ me, damnit! _Where_ is Logan?"

"Logan isn't home right now," Nessa said, seeing no way to handle this besides being blunt. "His morpher got struck by lightning and electrocuted him right back into thinking he's Neptune."

Pierce stared at her in shock. "Where is he? What happened?" He demanded.

"He's alive," Nessa said. "That's what matters. As far as where he is... The Rebel traitors, Micah, Neighbelle, and Estos, kidnapped him. Well, Estos tried, but I managed to stop him." She motioned toward his corpse. "Unfortunately, Van was seriously injured, Mena's ankle is broken or something, and you saw what happened to Freddy, so with Allie trying to help him, that pretty much left me... The other two got away with him. They convinced him they'd take him to see Raffitty."

"Raffitty's dead," Andie said softly.

"He is, but they told Logan that before we could, and they claimed Van helped Captain Smith do it. He shot Van, not to kill him, but to stop him from being able to follow him. That's why his wound wasn't as serious as Freddy's."

"He used to see me and Allie as surrogate younger siblings," Van explained. "Especially me. On some level, even without his memories, he missed having a little brother to look after." He looked at Pierce apologetically. "That's probably why he didn't just outright kill me. I know he could have."

"We have to go after him," Pierce said.

"We don't know where they went. That portal could have led anywhere," Nessa pointed out.

"We'll find him. I just got him back. I'm not losing him again," Pierce said firmly.

"I never said we'd just give up," Nessa replied. "He's a part of my team. There's no way I'm abandoning him."

"Even if he's Neptune now?" Greg asked.

"Especially then... He needs us more than ever. And he needs _you,_ Pierce... And Chelsea. When no one else gets through to him, Chelsea always does, and he still feels your connection. Mena brought your name up and nearly snapped him out of it, until he got shocked again. If anyone can save Logan from becoming Neptune again, it's you and Chelsea."

"We should call my Gram," Greg said. "She needs to know."

"We were headed to her when this happened. She said she needed to speak to us urgently. Even money says it has something to do with what just happened."

"Someone should call Captain Smith," Van said. "He can decide what to do with Estos. I think if _anyone_ deserves to make that call, it's him and his Chapter."

Lady Eleanor suddenly came running toward them. She looked them over before her face turned unreadable. "Children... Where is Logan?" She asked.

"Two of the evil Rebels took him and fled. The third is over there," Nessa said, pointing to Estos. Lady Eleanor saw the shape he was in and nodded at Nessa with approval.

"I was worried with how long you were taking to reach me," Lady Eleanor explained. "Children... _Rangers..._ We must talk."

"You don't seem surprised that we lost Logan," Mena said quietly.

"I am not... I simply wish it hadn't happened. Come back to the house. I will explain everything." She paused, noticing that Mena was putting her weight on Greg. "Are you injured, Mena?"

"It's just my ankle," Mena said quickly. "Nothing life-threatening."

Andie turned toward her. "Let me heal you," she said.

"You poured a lot of energy into Freddy before you healed Van. You're going to burn yourself out. This is nothing. I'll be fine."

"Mena, please. An injured ankle is easy to heal. It will take very little effort, and the reward of having you be okay is worth it."

Mena sighed before nodding. "Very well," she said. "Thank you, Andie."

Andie nodded. A minute later, Mena was able to put all of her weight on her previously injured foot. "Thanks, Andie," Greg said softly.

"Anytime," Andie replied.

They followed Lady Eleanor back to their current base of operations. No one was entirely sure what to expect, but the perky redhead who greeted them was not anywhere on the list of educated guesses.

"Hi! I'm Eloise! It's nice to meet you all," she said pleasantly.

"Um... Gram?" Greg asked.

"Eloise is Eltarian," Lady Eleanor explained. "She has a unique gift to travel through the timeline at will. For a very long time, Zell had her stuck outside of it, but she returned to us today. She is the one who explained this dire set of circumstances to me. Please, sit down."

Lady Eleanor explained what had happened. "So, you're saying we're not Power Rangers?" Allie asked sadly after she was finished.

"You _are_ Power Rangers," Lady Eleanor said firmly. "However, we believe you were meant to be part of a different team. The fate of the original Ranger Guard changed, and those morphers were not meant to ever be used. That is why Logan's morpher failed him tonight, when he needed it the most. You children were lucky you weren't all killed."

"So, then, where are _our_ morphers?" Nessa asked.

"I was hoping that Mena could help us figure that out."

Mena paused thoughtfully. "I suppose I can try," she said. "My power should help me find them fairly easily, as long as they're on Earth... If I don't find them, I can also check Eltar."

"Until they are located, please do not morph," Lady Eleanor said. "I am very concerned that the other Guard morphers will betray your team as well."

"What happens if we get attacked?" Allie asked nervously.

"We fight," Nessa said with a shrug. "We don't need powers to be Power Rangers, guys. We're still a team, and we're still fierce. We've _got_ this."

"I promise I'll find the new morphers as soon as possible," Mena said.

"Nessa's right. We can still do this," Van said. "All of us know how to fight. We'll be fine."

"But Freddy... Without a suit to protect him, he's vulnerable. He's human," Allie said.

"Zordon always says my superpower is that I have a strong heart," Freddy reminded her softly. "That's still here, beating strong, thanks to Pierce." He nodded at Pierce appreciatively as Nessa laughed to herself about the fact that he'd probably just used his word quota for the week to reassure Allie.

"I couldn't let you die. Chelsea would have slaughtered me, and Scott wouldn't have stopped whining until I found a way to fix you," Pierce said with a shrug. It was clear how upset he was, but he didn't say anything else.

"What do we do about Logan?" Greg asked gently, looking at Pierce.

"Right now, nothing," Lady Eleanor replied. "We can't run in blind. We do not know where the traitors took him, nor do we know what their intentions are, but if he is with Zell..." She sighed.

"We're screwed?" Eloise suggested helpfully. "I mean, I saw the future where Zell gets his hooks into Logan, and it's _not_ good. Jeirmi and I spent a lot of time trying to prevent it from happening."

"My brother isn't evil. He won't help Zell," Pierce said firmly.

"Okay, sure, but right now, it seems like he's _not_ your brother. He's Neptune."

"We brought him back from that before. We can do it again."

"I get that he's your brother, but he might help destroy the world, Pierce. You need to accept that if we can't save him, we'll have to stop him."

Pierce glared at her. "You don't know _anything_ about my brother, so shut the fuck up!" He slammed his fist on the table so hard that it shook.

Eloise let out a squeak of surprise. "Sorry," she said. "I should be more sensitive."

"Whatever. You guys can sit here and obsess about this, but _I'm_ going to _do_ something about it," Pierce said before storming off.

"Pierce!" Greg called, about to run after him.

"Let him go, Gregory," Lady Eleanor said. "He needs to process this in his own way."

"But if he goes after Logan, he could be killed. I can't just let him leave, Gram."

"Call Darcy. I'm sure she can talk some sense into the boy."

"I'll call her," Andie offered. She stepped away to do it.

"I didn't mean to upset him," Eloise said. "It's obvious how close they are."

"The Rebels stole Logan from Pierce for six years, and during that time, both of those boys endured hell. Logan was brainwashed and turned into a killer. Pierce was severely abused and neglected. He is quick to anger because of his past, but he's a good boy. I wish I could have spared him from this," Lady Eleanor said.

"Greg... Come with me. I want to search for the morphers right now. The sooner I begin, the sooner I'll find them," Mena said.

"Alright," Greg agreed. "Gram, are you guys okay here?"

"We are safe in this house. I will protect my Rangers from harm," Lady Eleanor promised. "Be careful, and do _not_ stay out past your curfew, Gregory."

 _"Gram!"_ Greg blushed with obvious embarrassment, causing Nessa to laugh and Mena to smile at him sweetly.

"I promise we shall return in a timely manner, Lady Eleanor," Mena said kindly. "Come on, Greg. Let's go."

As they left, Nessa looked at the rest of her team. "We'll get through this," she promised them confidently. "And when we get our _true_ morphers, we'll be even stronger than before." She wished she believed everything would work out fine, but Logan was missing and thought he was the assassin he'd been on the worst day of Nessa's life. She wasn't sure what that meant, or how Logan would cope if he came to his senses and realized what he'd done to his team. _It will be fine,_ she told herself. _Things will be back to normal in no time._ She desperately clung to the comforting words even though she wasn't sure she believed them.

 _ **PIERCE**_

He had no plan. He simply knew he needed to find his brother and save him. "I'm coming, Logan," he said softly.

"Little Fish..." Amos said from behind him.

"You're not stopping me, Amos," Pierce said, not turning around.

"I was not planning to try," Amos said, surprising him.

"Aren't you supposed to talk me out of doing stupid things?"

"Why, when it is so entertaining to watch?" Amos teased him. He moved beside him, walking with him. Turning serious, he said, "I know what has happened, Little Fish... I had hoped we would be able to avoid this fate."

"You knew this was coming?" Pierce demanded.

"No. I knew it was _possible_. I also know that not all hope is lost. Your brother is still in there, Pierce. Do not give up on him yet." It was rare Amos used his real name, so he knew that this message was an important one.

"I won't _ever_ give up on Logan," Pierce said firmly. "He's my brother... And I fought too damn hard to get him back to lose him now."

"Good. It is your bond which may save him... However, not yet."

"Not yet?" Pierce repeated.

"You must prepare, Little Fish. When you see your brother, he may be in Zell's clutches. This will be the most difficult battle of your life."

"I've faced that fucker before. If he thinks I won't find a way to destroy him, he's mistaken."

"I know what you are capable of... More than _you_ do, Little Fish. I _also_ know you still need help to reach your full potential. You are young."

 _"Everyone_ is young to you, Amos. You're _ancient._ "

"This is true. However, it is irrelevant." Amos paused, turning Pierce to face him. "Listen carefully, Little Fish... Zell _needs_ Logan on his side. He wants the power he can never unlock... And if he gets Logan, he will try to have Logan recruit you so he can _finally_ control it all. He does not yet know that the final slither of Elgan's energy lives now within you."

"You noticed that?"

Amos gave him a very sarcastic look. "I will not entertain that ridiculous question with an answer, Little Fish. It is not as if we have just met." He shook his head. "The point is, Zell will see that eventually, and if he cannot control you, he will destroy you."

"He can _try._ "

"He can succeed. Do not be too confident, Little Fish. You are surely powerful, but Zell has many ways to destroy a person. They are not all physical. Emotional death is just as bad."

"He can't do that," Pierce said softly. "My father already did."

"You are not dead inside, Pierce. You have been damaged by your past, but it does not define you. You've proven that again and again as I've watched you grow, especially since becoming a Power Ranger."

"You _have_ to encourage me because you're my mentor."

"Not true! I could simply whack you with a stick and tell you to stop being so foolish! However, I am quite fond of you, my Little Fish... And I hate to see you in such pain." He put a comforting hand on Pierce's shoulder. "I am proud of the man you are becoming, Little Fish. I always will be."

"Amos... What if I _really_ lose him this time?" Pierce asked, allowing himself to be vulnerable for just a moment. He suddenly felt like the same traumatized ten-year-old who woke up to find out that his big brother was dead.

Amos pulled Pierce into his arms. It was comforting and safe in a way he'd never experienced with his father. He felt tears threatening to fall, but he didn't let them.

"I won't let that happen, Little Fish," Amos promised. "No matter what, I'll find a way to bring your brother back to you."

When Pierce was calmer, Amos released him. "Now... Your fiery love is close. Go to her. It will help," Amos told him. With that, he walked away, cheerfully humming to himself.

Pierce turned around and spotted Darcy. "Pierce... I heard. Are you okay?" She asked, hurrying to him.

"No," Pierce admitted softly. "But I have to be... He needs me."

"He does. But you don't have to do this alone, Pierce. I'm here. The _team_ is here."

He nodded. "I know... Did anyone call Chelsea?"

"Not yet. Andie called me, and I came after you. Scott doesn't know either."

"You should call them, Darce. Besides, until we find him and fix this, Chelsea's in danger."

"Do you think he'd hurt her?"

"Logan? No. Not ever. But Neptune might."

"He fell in love with her as Neptune, not Logan."

"She _made_ him Logan, Darcy. She gave him a reason to become a better person than Neptune was. Without those memories..." He let the sentence trail off.

"Chelsea's still Chelsea. She's stubborn. She'll get through to him if she gets near him, just like she did before."

"Darcy... I'm scared," Pierce admitted in a whisper. He rarely said things like that out loud.

"I know," Darcy said soothingly. She kissed him to reassure him. "We'll get him back," she promised. "Come on. Let me take you back home. I know you fixed Freddy, and I know your energy's probably non-existent right now because you need rest."

He didn't try to argue. He was starting to feel the weight of his efforts and was too weak to protest. Together, they headed back to where they were staying. Darcy brought Pierce to his room and curled up beside him, stroking his back soothingly until he finally passed out from exhaustion.

 _ **DARCY**_

She finally made her way outside after Pierce was safely resting. She sent a message to Laby, asking him to come over. She figured Captain Smith should know what was going on. She waited on the porch for him to come.

Suddenly, Darcy sensed something in the air. She couldn't explain what it was, but she felt overwhelming power approaching her. Worried it might be Zell, Darcy tensed and prepared for a fight. She quickly realized, however, that Zell was not the source of the energy.

"Hello?" She called into the shadows. Someone was lurking nearby, but she couldn't figure out who it was. That was when she spotted someone in the distance. "Who's there? Show yourself," she said firmly.

He turned around slowly. The first thing Darcy realized was how familiar he looked, although she couldn't be sure why. He was incredibly handsome, but had an intense stare that was highly intimidating.

 _No,_ Serafine whispered in her mind. _You're not ready..._

Unexpectedly, the flashes of memory hit her like a freight train. Darcy gasped as she found herself staring at a man who had once been incredibly dear to Serafine's heart. She saw everything quickly and was overwhelmed by the emotions that raced through her with each image.

 _Serafine was learning magic... She was working with an equally handsome and exceptionally charming guy who turned into a dragon before her eyes. She saw herself kissing him, and doing more with him. Then, suddenly, she left him for Zell, with no idea why she suddenly couldn't stop thinking about the Great Wizard... The guy continued to mentor her and be there for her, insisting he only wanted her to be happy, even if it meant she wasn't dating him anymore. Zell tried to push them apart, but part of Serafine held onto him for dear life... Then, there was fire... A horrible, huge fire that brought a building down on his head. "Talon!" Serafine screamed, desperately trying to run to him. The man who stood in front of Darcy now wrapped strong arms around Serafine and prevented her from reaching Talon, protecting her from harm and telling her that his beloved little brother Talon was dead. Her heart broke and a part of her shattered that would never be repaired._

"Stone?" Darcy whispered in surprise before all of the emotions overwhelmed her and she fainted.

 _ **LABY**_

He arrived just in time to see Darcy hit the ground. Laby ran toward her. "Darcy!" He cried in alarm. He pulled her into his arms and checked to see if she was injured, but she seemed to be fine. Then, he looked up and realized what had happened. "Oh, shit... Hey, Stone," he greeted his old friend casually.

"It appears I made an error in coming this way," Stone said. "My apologies."

"It's not your fault... This is Darcy." Laby paused. "She's Serafine's reincarnation."

Stone suddenly seemed to understand. "Oh dear... Poor Sera," he said softly. "Let's bring her inside and see if I can help her come around."

Laby carried Darcy into the house. Stone followed him. Laby sat on the couch holding Darcy. "It's okay, Darcy," he said soothingly. "Come on... Wake up, honey." As he did this, he felt Stone send some healing energy Darcy's way to try to soothe her emotions.

Darcy's eyes fluttered open. She looked at Laby in confusion. "Laby? What happened?" She asked.

"If I had to guess, Sera overwhelmed you," Laby replied. "Are you okay?"

"I think so... I..." She shook her head as tears formed in her eyes. "I remember..." She whispered.

"What do you remember exactly?"

"Everything... Stone, Talon..." Her voice cracked. "My God, her grief was so powerful... It broke Zell's hold on her and woke her up to everything else." She looked at Stone and added, "She loved him... She loved him _so_ much. She hated herself for leaving him."

"I know," Stone said reassuringly. "It wasn't your... _Her_ fault... Darcy."

"She loved you, too, you know... You were family to her," Darcy continued.

Stone actually looked moved by this statement. "She was my kin as well," he replied. "I believe that my brother would have married her if he'd had the chance... And, if you remember him, you know he never believed in settling down."

"What are you doing here?" Darcy finally asked.

"Good question," Laby chimed in.

"Vitella has asked me to take up Garron's old position," Stone said awkwardly.

"Vegas? Sweet deal!" Laby replied.

"Wait... You're part of the Rebellion?" Darcy asked.

Stone nodded. "Try not to judge me _too_ harshly, Ser- _Darcy_. It was the only path I could walk at that point. They were formed to combat the corruption on Eltar, and given what that monster did to my brother and everyone else, fighting corruption seemed like a good purpose for me."

"I understand," Darcy promised him. "Besides, I've gotten to know a bunch of the Rebels. They're actually pretty awesome."

"So, Vitti wants you to form a new Vegas Chapter from scratch?" Laby asked.

"Not exactly. The twins have renounced Zell and asked to be forgiven. They stand with Vitella and the Rebellion. Vitti doesn't want them left unsupervised."

"Good call. Those two are fun, but boy are they trouble when no one's around to tell them to stop blowing shit up." Laby laughed to himself. "Who else will be in the Chapter?"

"Are you looking for a new home?" Stone asked.

"Never," Laby replied firmly. "I'll stand and fight with the Rebels, but I'm never settling down with a Chapter again."

Stone nodded. "I understand. I was very sorry to hear about what happened to them, Laby. It was truly horrific what Jaybert did."

Laby felt himself starting to shake slightly. "Yeah, well, he's b-back now, so..." He began. "It... It doesn't matter. I-I'll handle him. It's m... M-My job."

"Laby..." Darcy said gently.

"I-It's fine. I've got t-this..."

"Laby, you're stuttering."

"N-nervous habit," he said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

"It only happens when you're upset. You used to do it as a little kid, but Sera helped you get control over it..." She hesitated. "It started coming out sometimes again after she died, didn't it?"

"Only once in a while," Laby said, forcing himself to breathe and speak carefully. She knew him entirely too well. He couldn't lie to her, even if he wanted to. Laby had begun stuttering again when he was overwhelmed after Serafine and Ash died, and it had gotten worse after Daphne's death. By the time Celestia had died, he'd basically stopped speaking. When he tried to speak again, he found ways to do it without stuttering as long as he wasn't talking about the things that hurt him. The stutter had returned briefly after the Rebels had been slaughtered during the protest, and again, he'd had to overcome it. He'd been okay for the most part until his Chapter had imploded. Losing Tiffani, Amareese, Flekt, and even Jaybert had broken him severely, and for the most part, he still couldn't talk about them without the stutter returning.

"It's okay," Darcy said soothingly. "Sera always found the stutter kind of endearing. Maybe I can help you get control over it again. You'll be smooth-talking your way out of trouble again in no time." She squeezed his hand encouragingly.

Laby almost started to cry, because that was just such a Sera-like thing to do and say, but he managed to control his emotions. "Thanks," he said softly. He turned to Stone, breathing and speaking steadily. "So, you didn't answer me. Who else is coming to the party?"

"Ace and Wynter, at Vitella's request," Stone replied. "And the Sisterhood at mine."

Laby's face lit up with excitement. "The girls? Are they here? I haven't seen them in _ages!"_

Darcy seemed to realize who they were talking about. "How are they?" She asked. "Are they alright? Sera was so worried about them..."

"Sera adopted those girls... They were devastated when she died, and they were still so young," Stone replied. "They had a few rough years... Aylane, especially... But they're doing much better now. After the Brothers of Legend realized how dangerous Zell had become, they sent the girls to me so I could hide and protect them. They remained safe in the mountains with me until the Rebellion began. They joined as well."

Darcy smiled. "I'm glad they're okay," she said. "The Brothers were always smart about things like that."

"Yes... Bartello and Zee are still around. Bartello runs Barcelona. Zee is his Lieutenant."

"The others..." Darcy sighed. "They didn't make it?"

"Zell systematically wiped them out with a series of 'freak accidents.' He shoved gardening sheers through D'Dodi's eyes and told everyone it was a gardening accident... D'Dodi was _inside_ of his house, yet people accepted it."

"Yeah, that was pretty impressive," Laby said with a shake of his head. He'd been close to the Brothers of Legend. "Eltarians believed _anything_ that asshole told them."

"They believed my brother, who was essentially _fireproof,_ died in a fire," Stone said. "So yes, Laby, you're correct about that." He took a deep breath before moving on. "He claimed Tante fell victim to the spirits he communicated with. All of his life force was stolen from him. When they found him, a look of horror was frozen on his face, and he was..." He paused.

"Was what?" Darcy asked softly. Serafine had always had a soft spot for Tante, who was one of the gentlest people on all of Eltar.

"He was clutching the talisman Sera gave him for protection," Laby provided, since Stone didn't seem to want to say it to her.

Darcy looked like she might cry. "Poor Tante..." She whispered.

"The twins battled to the end. The house was half frozen and half engulfed in flames... There was nothing left of them physically. Zell claimed that Zydo took his own life, and Mydo died trying to save him."

"My God... That son of a bitch..." Darcy said.

"He tried to kill Barty," Laby said. "He didn't realize how hard it is to kill an incubus. He brought his house down on him, but Barty escaped. He healed, took Zee, and went into hiding until long after Zell was destroyed." He paused as Darcy took all of that in. Then, he asked, "So, Darcy, why did you have me come by, anyway?"

"Oh! I forgot with all of this," Darcy said. "I need you to tell Captain Smith there's a problem. Logan's been captured... Technically, he went willingly, but the ones who betrayed Captain Smith's Chapter have him."

"Back up. What happened?"

"He got electrocuted and they think it triggered a PTSD episode... He turned back into Neptune. He doesn't seem to remember being Logan."

"Super. Well, if I can get to him, I can clear his mind and help him."

"The problem is, we have no idea where he went. Captain Smith needs to know."

"I'll talk to Cap, no problem. How's your boyfriend handling this?"

"Pierce is having a hard time. He's asleep right now. He burned himself out because Logan killed Freddy and Pierce brought him back."

"Never a dull moment around here. Welcome to the fun, Stone," Laby quipped.

"Indeed," Stone replied.

"Call the girls. I want to see them," Laby continued. "I'm going to go talk to Cap, but I'll be free in a bit."

"Of course. They're in Las Vegas setting up the house. I'll have them take a portal here. Would you like me to bring Wynter and Ace as well?"

"Sure. The more the merrier. I haven't seen them in a damn long time, either." Laby figured now that everyone knew he was back, he might as well see his oldest friends. He might not want to get attached to anyone anymore, but that didn't mean he didn't still enjoy a good party.

 _ **KAI**_

He had been surprised when he received Kira's message. The voicemail hadn't been clear, but the text she sent had been a bit alarming. Still, when given a direct order to get to Angel Grove or "face the consequences," he hadn't ignored her. He arrived after dark and headed toward the address he'd been given.

"Well, look who _finally_ showed up!" A voice said cheerfully.

Kai spun around and spotted Damon. "Hey! How have you been?" He asked. He hadn't seen Damon or the others in ages.

"I'm great," Damon replied. "So's Maya. Girl, get over here and see who I found!"

Maya emerged from the shadows. She looked nervous as she watched Kai. "Hey," she said. "It's been a long time, Kai."

Kai hugged her. Maya tensed, which confused him. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"We've been through a lot," Damon said.

"I figured, if Kira was calling us all to Angel Grove with no option to say no, that something major was going on. Where's Karone? I'm worried she's going to kill me when she sees me, considering none of us were here when Leo..." He sighed. It bothered him terribly that Leo had been killed in the last big fight and he hadn't been there to try to help.

"Karone's busy," Damon replied. "Come on, Kai. We'll take you to where we're staying." He led the way. Kai and Maya followed him. That was when they arrived at a building that looked like an abandoned warehouse.

"What is this place?" Kai asked.

"Your prison," Maya said with a smirk. She shoved him through the door. Suddenly, Kai was transported into a small cell. Maya and Damon appeared outside of it a minute later. They were both laughing. "I can't believe you fell for that! You'd think Kira would have warned him!"

"I guess he doesn't matter enough," Damon said.

"Guys... What the heck is going on?" Kai asked.

"Oh, we're _evil_ now," Maya explained. "Great Zell freed us from the burden of being good with his flames. Maybe he'll do that for you, too. Either way, we noticed your arrival and figured he'd want us to intervene and keep you from reaching the other Power Rangers."

Kai's eyes went wide with shock. "Are you serious?" He demanded.

"Very," Damon said. "So, sorry, Buddy, but Karone's _not_ the one you need to be afraid of." He laughed again before walking away with Maya, turning out the only light and leaving Kai in darkness.

 _ **NEPTUNE**_

He looked at his new surroundings. The hotel didn't seem to be open for business, but it was quite large and rather nice. Neighbelle pointed to a comfortable-looking couch in the lobby. "Have a seat, Neptune," she said.

"Where is Raff?" Neptune asked nervously. Something felt off about this place.

"He'll be along eventually," Micah said quickly. "This is our current safe house. We were hunted, you see. The property we were staying on was destroyed by dragons."

"Dragons?" Neptune repeated.

"Yes. This is comfortable, however. We rather enjoy hotels." He smiled wickedly, and Neptune wondered what that was about.

Neighbelle choked on her own laughter, trying to hold it back. "We used to run a hotel," she explained. "We have many _wonderful_ memories there."

Neptune knew they were keeping something from him, but he didn't have the energy to find out what it might be. He was exhausted. "I need to recharge," he mumbled.

"Neigh, feed the boy and then set him up in the nicest room," Micah said. "You need to rest, Neptune. You have been through an ordeal."

"I have?" Neptune asked. He couldn't really remember much.

"Don't worry. You're safe here. Everything will make sense soon," Neighbelle said soothingly. She hurried off, presumably to find him some food.

"I want Raff... Please call him," Neptune said nervously. He felt incredibly frightened suddenly, although he wasn't sure why.

"Shhh... He's a busy man, Neptune. He'll come when he's ready." Micah waved off his request. "You can enjoy yourself here. The rooms are luxurious, and there are a lot of great perks... Look," he said, motioning for Neptune to follow him. "Through here is the gym. It's got some great equipment." He opened the door to show him before moving down the hall. "This is the office. It's got computers and internet access, which I find is quite useful." Again, he showed him the room. Finally, he led him to the last room in the hallway. He opened the door. "And this is-"

Neptune froze as Micah tried to pull him inside. "No," he said softly.

"Neptune? What's wrong?" Micah asked.

Neptune stared at the enormous, fancy pool. It was filled with water, and panic threatened to completely consume him. Neptune stepped back away from the pool, tempted to slam the door shut.

"I... I dislike water," Neptune replied nervously.

"You're afraid of it," Micah said in surprise.

"I nearly drowned as a teenager. Raff saved me. That is my first memory."

Micah nodded sympathetically. "That's horrible. I'm sorry, my friend. Don't worry, I'll keep you away from the pool now that I know."

"Thank you," Neptune said softly.

They arrived back at the couch as Neighbelle appeared with food. Realizing he was starving, Neptune began to eat. He paused as a random and unexpected craving hit him. "Do you have any cheese fries?" He asked.

Neighbelle looked at him with disgust. "We don't keep things like that here," she said.

He nodded, disappointed for reasons he didn't understand. "This is fine. Thank you," he said quickly.

Micah excused himself to talk to Neighbelle. Neptune listened to them talk while pretending to be absorbed in his meal.

"He's perfect," Neighbelle said. "Great Zell will be pleased with us."

 _"If_ we find him," Micah mumbled.

"He's obviously busy recovering, but we'll find him. I'm going to try to track Felina soon and see if she can lead us to him."

"Do you think he can turn the boy?"

"I'm certain of it."

Realizing his new allies weren't allies after all, Neptune took a couple more bites of food before slipping out of the hotel and into the night. Neither one seemed to notice. "I need to find Raff," he said aloud. He walked toward a gas station. Inside were maps, and he grabbed one and looked up his location before studying the map to figure out where he should go. "Home," he decided. "I'll go back to Stone Hollow and find Raff. He will explain all of this to me." Determined, Neptune began to head toward Stone Hollow on foot. It was a bit of a journey, but he had no idea where his car was. It didn't matter. He would go home and everything would make sense again. Still, he couldn't shake the sense that he was in horrible danger.


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**  
 _ **CAPTAIN SMITH**_  
He stood over Estos with an urn in his hands. Staring at the face of the man he'd once considered a friend, Captain Smith was overwhelmed with memories.

"Sir..." Kizzie said softly.

Taking a deep breath, Captain Smith recited the burning spell that turned remains to ash. The ashes were quickly swept into the urn.

"What happens now?" B'Danna asked.

"We bring the remains to Sage. She has agreed to keep them on the Reservation, as she did with her cousin, so that Zell may never attempt to resurrect him again," Captain Smith replied.

"What about Neptune?"

"We must do everything in our power to help bring Logan back to his senses. That boy was practically Raff's son. I will protect him with all that I possess."

"I spoke with Allie earlier. The poor dear is terribly traumatized by all of this, but it seems their team is recovering well enough," Kizzie said. "Disturbingly, it appears that the morphers they use are not truly theirs, so Mena has gone in search of the real set."

"It is a miracle they survived," Tedius said softly. He stared at the urn. "The threat they faced was significant."

"I don't think anyone warned them about Marinessa," B'Danna said with a small grin. "The girl took out half of the attacking Rebels at the Counsel Building on her own."

"Nessa is _certainly_ impressive," Captain Smith agreed. "And I am quite appreciative that she eliminated Estos for us."

"He was great at the tactical side of things, but Micah and Neighbelle are the _true_ threats," Tedius said.

"Give _me_ five minutes alone with Neigh and she won't be a problem anymore," Kizzie vowed.

"I'd buy tickets to that show," B'Danna said with a laugh.

Captain Smith's mind wandered once again as the others talked. He saw Carolena's face is his mind. He recalled her beautiful, reassuring smile and how it gave him strength. He remembered the way she'd call him _Capitan._ He missed her terribly, even after all this time. Then, his mind turned to Marie. He could not allow that. It hurt too much to remember what had become of his daughter.

He took a deep breath to compose himself. "Sir, how are we to find Logan?" Kizzie asked softly, drawing his focus back.

"I suppose we can try a tracking spell, although I fear it shall not be so simple," Captain Smith replied.

"B'Danna, Tedius return to the house," Kizzie said. "We shall join you in a bit."

"Of course," B'Danna replied, quickly leading Tedius away.

"Sir... I realize how difficult all of this must be for you," Kizzie said gently. "Tell me, how can I help?"

Captain Smith gently touched her cheek. "The fact that you are able to stand by my side helps immensely, Kizzie," he told her.

"I'm not going _anywhere,_ Sir," she vowed. Softer, she added, "You can talk to me, Sir."

He nodded. "I know." He sighed. "I suppose all of this has reopened old wounds. I _miss them,_ Kizzie... It still hurts to know how I failed them."

"You didn't fail them, Sir... Just as you reminded me _I_ didn't. You couldn't have known what was coming. None of us ever suspected they would betray us. We trusted them. They were our friends."

"Part of me hopes to find them again... Every day, I see proof of reincarnation before my eyes with the Stone Warriors, and I wonder if part of Carolena's soul has returned."

"It's quite possible, Sir... And if she has, I am certain she'll find her way back to you eventually."

"As lovely as that would be, it terrifies me," he admitted softly. "I do not think I could survive losing either of them again." He looked away from her, worried she'd see the tears that desperately wanted to escape from his eyes.

"If we find them, Sir, I promise to keep them safe this time... No matter what." Kizzie put a gentle hand on his back. "As I wish I could have done before."

Captain Smith pulled her into a tight hug. "I am thankful every day that you survived, my dearest Kizzie," he told her. "Do not ever regret that you were the one to remain. You _all_ shared my heart, and your survival kept it beating."

"Thank you, Sir," she said softly.

They took a moment to grieve together before both composing themselves. "Now... Let's get this to Sage," Captain Smith said, holding the urn a bit tighter in his hands. Estos was dead. Ensuring this remained the case was of the utmost importance.

 _ **ZEKE**_  
Being the team leader was pretty awesome. Zeke was great at the basic stuff. Helping the team focus at training when they were having issues, keeping everyone's spirits up, and making sure they were all doing okay were things that mostly came naturally to him. He had yet to have an opportunity to lead them in battle, however. That was about to change.

He was walking through the park with Lilly, his sister/daughter. Zeke tried not to focus on how that had happened, just like he tried not to think about their mother. She had been evil, but not in the super villain way. Instead, his mother had been a different sort of monster who'd never paid any attention to her son unless she was using him for things no little boy should know about. She was dead now because, in his fear and pain, Zeke had accepted Katie's offer to kill her. He didn't know if that made him a bad person, but he couldn't change the past. Instead, he focused on the present.

"What's _that?"_ Lilly asked, pointing at something in the distance.

Zeke followed her finger and saw three people dressed in black body suits and blue masks moving closer to them. Behind them were impressive machines that looked like they were ready to open fire any minute on the innocent people in the park.

"Shit!" Zeke cursed. Lilly giggled, but thankfully didn't repeat the word.

"What's wrong?" Lilly asked as she realized something serious was happening.

"Lilly... I need you to close your eyes, okay? And just trust me," Zeke said. He kept his tone calm to avoid scaring her.

"Okay," Lilly agreed. She closed her eyes.

Zeke used his communicator to say, "Alphas, something's about to go down in the park. I need backup, and I need you to teleport Lilly to my dad. He's at his Dojo."

 _"Ay-yi-yi!_ We're on it, Zeke," Alpha Twenty-Six replied. Moments later, Lilly was sent to safety.

Josh and Thorn arrived first. "What's the situation?" Josh asked.

"Eltarian Rebels," Zeke said, motioning toward them. "And I have a feeling they're not friendly."

"Should we morph?" Liza asked as she and Micky joined them.

"There's only three of them," Micky said. "We can take them, right?"

"Did I miss anything?" Tommy asked as he arrived.

"Their machines look pretty dangerous. I think it's Morphin' Time," Zeke said.

Micky shrugged. "White Tigerzord!" He cried.

"Allosaurus!" Tommy said.

"Mastodon!" Thorn added.

"Pterodactyl..." Kenny called a little shyly as he appeared just in time. He morphed, so Zeke knew he was ready even if he seemed nervous.

"Welcome back, Bro!" Zeke said. "Does this mean you're in charge again?"

"Nope. It's still you, Zeke," Kenny replied. "As it _should_ be. I just stepped up to help while you needed time."

"It's good to have you back," Josh said with a smile. Then, he added, "Triceratops!"

"Saber-toothed Tiger!" Liza chimed in.

Zeke finished it up by shouting, "Tyrannosaurus!"

The Rangers ran into battle. The three Rebels proved to be more dangerous than they appeared. The one who seemed to be the leader kept barking orders in a language Zeke almost understood, but not quite.

"It's not Spanish, but..." Zeke mumbled.

"They're speaking Italian," Josh provided helpfully.

"Which means they're an Earth-based Chapter," Liza said.

"If I remember my notes correctly, Rome has a Chapter of Rebels," Josh said. "I suppose they chose to work for Zell."

"Not _all_ of us," the leader said. She laughed. "And we speak English, too." She paused. "Allow me to make introductions. I am Arabella, former Lieutenant of the Rebellion of Eltar. Tutty, the Captain of the Rome Chapter, did not agree with my decision to go where the power was. Luckily, Katrice and Gabritto are tactical experts and saw the logic to my argument."

"You'd think _tactical experts_ would realize Zell likes to kill his minions for sport," Zeke said casually.

"Only the ones who fail him," Arabella argued. She was arrogant, but Zeke detected a slight moment of nervousness at his words.

They had no time to debate this as the one Zeke assumed was Katrice fired upon them with a massive gun she pulled out of thin air. Zeke dove in front of Liza, knocking her to the ground and taking the hit. Thankfully, his morph held and deflected the bullets.

"Zeke! Are you okay?" Liza asked.

"I'm good," Zeke promised, allowing her to help him back to his feet.

Annoyed, Katrice removed her mask. Her long, platinum-blonde hair looked odd against her overly tanned skin. Her eyes were black. _Like her soul,_ Zeke quipped to himself. She scowled at him and he wondered if she was telepathic or if she just had a _serious_ case of Resting Bitch Face.

Gabritto removed his mask as well. He was kind of enormous and looked like the sort of guy who worked as an enforcer for the Mafia. His dark features probably fit in well in Italy. Zeke wondered if they were actually blue-skinned like many Eltarians or if they had the paler skin that was only tinged slightly.

 _Stop going all ADHD,_ Zeke scolded himself. _The amount of blue in their natural skin tone is_ beyond _unimportant right now._

"Do not worry, Katrice. _I_ will handle the pest," Gabritto said in a deep, overly masculine voice.

 _He even_ sounds _like a Mafia guy,_ Zeke thought with a laugh. Did Eltar have its own Mafia, or had this guy just researched Italian customs by watching _The_ _Godfather_ one too many times?

Gabritto pulled out a very impressive-looking weapon. Zeke didn't wait to find out if it was the morph-breaking kind. Instead, using his natural speed and agility, he began moving in an unpredictable manner. His ADHD-induced impulsiveness might be a problem in school, but in battle, it was kind of like his own personal superpower.

Gabritto cursed as he failed several times to hit Zeke. He was so focused on trying to catch him, he didn't see the blur of green coming at him until it was too late. Sage teleported in right on his shoulders and used her momentum to pull him down by his neck with her legs.

"Hurricanrana. Nice," Zeke said with a laugh, thinking it looked an awful lot like the wrestling move. "Great timing, Sage."

"Sorry I'm late," she replied. "I was in a ritual taking care of something for Captain Smith and I didn't get the call right away."

"You _know_ you just wanted to make a cool entrance," Zeke teased her.

Gabritto was slowly recovering from his shock. In the meantime, Arabella had rounded on Micky and Thorn. She began attempting to cast a spell, making Zeke realize her official role in her Chapter was probably as a Sorceress.

"I don't _think_ so, Bitch!" Sage declared, rushing forward to protect her brother and cousin. She kicked Arabella in the chest, knocking her back several feet and breaking her concentration on the spell.

Kenny, Josh, and Tommy tried to battle against Katrice, but she hit them with a powerful grenade before Zeke could reach them. Tommy shielded the teenagers with his body the best he could as he seemed to realize they had no time to escape. The explosion was huge, and for a horrifying second, Zeke couldn't see his teammates. Then, he spotted Kenny, unmorphed and moving slowly.

"Kenny, what's your status?" Zeke asked through his communicator.

"I'm okay. Just scratched up. Tommy's unconscious, but he's alive. The injuries don't look fatal, but they're _really_ bad," Kenny said. "Josh is in a full-blown panic attack. I need to get them both out of here."

"Alphas, get Josh and Tommy to the Command Center," Zeke said.

 _"Yo, yo, yo,"_ Alpha Six replied. "We've _got_ this, Zeke. Teleporting in three... Two... One..."

He reached Kenny as Josh and Tommy vanished. "Are you good to stay?" Zeke asked him.

"Yeah... I just need another minute before I can morph again," Kenny replied.

"Sage, call in Noah. We need the Zords and Josh and Tommy are both down for the count," Zeke said. They needed the Triceratops to form the Megazord, but they could just use the original formation if Tommy's Allosaurus wasn't available.

"On it!" Sage promised.

About a minute later, Noah arrived already morphed. "Hey, Guys," he said pleasantly before ducking out of the way of an attack from Gabritto.

"We need Dinozord power, _now_!" Zeke called. The team summoned their Zords. Kenny finally morphed again as they jumped into them.

The Zords immediately targeted the machines. Most of the weapons attached did little to no harm to the massive Zords until Katrice shouted, _"Uniciti!"_ The twin machines joined together into one gigantic killing machine.

"Megazord time!" Zeke decided aloud.

The team merged their Zords together. "So, I'm late to the party," Noah said quickly. "Who _are_ these guys?"

"A bunch of assholes," Zeke said as an explanation.

"They're Eltarian Rebels from Rome who defected to the Alliance," Liza replied more thoroughly.

"Rebels have _Zords_ now?" Noah asked.

"They're _not_ Zords. They're just meticulously-built machines that were weaponized," Sage explained from the Dragonzord.

A cannon attack shook the Megazord severely. "Hang on, Guys!" Zeke shouted.

"Is everyone okay?" Micky asked from the White Tigerzord.

"We're good, but the Megazord's sparking," Zeke observed. An idea flashed into his mind. "Hold on to your butts, everybody!" He proclaimed before taking full control of the Megazord. He steered it until it was directly in front of the enemy's machine. "On my count, jump out! One... Two... _Three_!" He watched the others start to leave the Megazord. Then, he turned it until it was nearly on its side and let it drop.

The twin machines broke apart and were damaged beyond repair from the weight of the Megazord.

Zeke was ejected from the Megazord. His morph failed instantly.

He could hear the Rebels cursing before Arabella motioned for them to leave. She opened up a portal and they fled.

"What the _hell_ was _that?"_ Liza demanded as she tried to help Zeke to his feet.

"An elbow drop," Zeke replied. He rubbed his shoulder, which was sore but not as injured as it could have been with all things considered. "You know, like in wrestling."

"Are you okay?" Sage asked as she began healing his injuries.

"I'm good. Is everyone else?"

"We're fine," Noah confirmed.

"Only _you_ would try a wrestling move in the Megazord, Zeke," Thorn said with a laugh.

"It was kind of awesome," Micky added.

"You did great," Kenny said. "I'm impressed."

"Thanks, guys... Let's go to the Command Center," Zeke said. "I want to check on Tommy and Josh."

No one argued. When they arrived, Tommy was still unconscious on the healing bed. Josh was calmer. Billy stood nearby, looking over Tommy's vitals, and Zeke assumed that seeing his father had calmed Josh down.

"Sorry, Guys," Josh said softly as he looked at Noah. "Seeing Tommy get hit by the explosion just... Sent me back there."

"It's okay, Josh," Zeke reassured him. "We get it."

"How's Uncle Tommy?" Sage asked Billy.

"He'll be okay. He had a pretty severe injury to his chest and lost a lot of blood, and he took a serious blow to his head, but the healing bed is working. He's stable," Billy promised. "There shouldn't be any long-term damage."

Micky looked pretty upset as he watched Tommy from a distance. Zeke took his hand and guided him closer to the healing bed. "See this?" He asked, motioning toward a holographic display on the side of the bed. "That's his heartbeat. It's steady and strong."

Micky nodded. "I'm fine," he said softly.

"You're _worried_. And that's normal. But I promise, Tommy's going to be fine."

Micky nodded. "Thanks. I know things are weird with me and Tommy, but..."

"But he's _still_ your dad. I get it."

Tommy groaned, slowly regaining consciousness. "The kids..." He mumbled.

"Easy, Tommy," Billy said firmly as Tommy tried to sit up.

"The kids. Where _are_ they?" Tommy asked.

"We're here, Tommy," Kenny said quickly. "We're okay."

"Did we win?"

Zeke was vaguely reminded of Katie, whose reaction would have been identical. He smiled sadly, trying to separate the person he'd loved so much from the monster she'd become. "Yeah, Tommy," he said. "We won."

Tommy managed to smile at that. "Good. How long am I stuck here?"

"The damage was serious, but you're recovering well," Billy replied. "A few more hours of intensive healing and a good night's sleep should have you back to yourself."

"Right. Thanks, Billy."

"You took that hit to save my sons, Tommy. No thanks are required," Billy said.

Zeke noticed Kenny smile in surprise as Billy claimed him so casually. Impressively, Josh didn't seem to mind. He squeezed Kenny's shoulder supportively.

"Nice leadership today, Zeke," Billy said. "From what I saw on the viewing globe, you did an excellent job."

"Thanks, Billy," Zeke replied with a grin. Nothing had ever felt quite so right before. His dad had never led a team, but it seemed like Zeke had been born for the role after all.

 _ **CHELSEA**_  
She knew something was wrong. She could feel it in her core. The second she saw Pierce's face as she arrived at the house, she knew she was right.

"What happened to Logan?" She asked without preamble.

"That bitch _Sleigh Belle_ or whatever the fuck her name is struck his morpher with lightning," Pierce replied. "It misfired and kept electrocuting him, and he thinks he's Neptune again. I have _no_ idea where he is."

"I'll fix him," Chelsea said. "I got through to him before. I'll do it again. I'll go search for him."

She was about to take off running when she noticed someone staring at her. "Take a picture. It'll last longer, Asshole," she said sharply.

"Forgive me..." The man said softly. "You... You remind me of someone."

"Who _is_ this guy?" Chelsea asked Pierce.

"No clue. I just woke up," Pierce replied.

"His name is Stone," Laby provided as he and Darcy came into the living room. "And you look a _lot_ like Avona. You _act_ like her, too, actually... Just with that New York edge added in."

"And Avona would _be_...?" Chelsea asked.

"Someone who perished several millennia ago. Excuse me. I must go meet the Sisterhood," Stone said. He hurried off.

"Was it something I said?" Chelsea asked.

"Zell murdered Avona shortly after Talon died," Darcy said numbly. Chelsea could tell she was trying to hold Serafine back. "She was the love of his life."

"Super. I look like his dead love. Fun times," Chelsea said.

"Her parents had another kid eventually. You probably descend from her sister. I'd bet money on it," Laby said. "She was just as spirited as Avona, and she looked just like you."

"Wait... You think I'm part Eltarian?" Chelsea asked in disbelief.

"Barely. The sister ran off to Earth as a teenager. No one ever saw her again. I'm sure the Eltarian genes are massively diluted by several generations of people reproducing with people from Earth. But yeah, Chelsea... I think you have a little bit of Eltarian blood in you."

Chelsea shrugged. "Whatever. That's cool, I guess."

Laby laughed. "The fact that you reacted so casually to that bombshell makes you seem even _more_ like Avona... Which is good."

"Why's it good?"

"Stone struggled with darkness. He _still_ does sometimes. Avona was his off-switch. When nothing else got through to him, she did. The Sisterhood keeps him in check now. No one can resist Annabrooke's smile, and Aylane's a super powerful telepath, so when he's _really_ over the edge, she can help stop his rage. Since he basically helped raise the Sisterhood, he's got a soft spot for them."

"The Sisterhood? What _are_ they, _nuns?"_

"They had no families. Well, Aylane had parents, but they were in prison. They met in an orphanage, and they were ostracized because they had rare and strong magic. They became sisters without blood, hence the name," Laby explained patiently. "Sera sort of adopted them, at least as far as their magical training. Talon helped... He was Stone's little brother. And, well... Much like your boys Logan and Pierce, Stone and Talon possessed powerful magic that could rival Zell and Elgan. People were sort of afraid of them, but Talon's charming personality won them over. Stone mostly kept to himself. He _still_ does, in fact... But he's part of the Rebellion."

"You're saying they were like me and Logan?" Pierce asked.

"Yeah, except they were sort of the opposite. Talon was younger, but he had the Fire magic, like Zell and like Logan. Stone's element is Water, like Elgan and like you."

"Logan's _nothing_ like Zell," Pierce said harshly.

"Hey, chill out, Pierce," Chelsea said. "Laby wasn't comparing their personalities. He just pointed out they have the same primary power."

Pierce took a deep breath. "Right. Sorry."

"I get it," Laby reassured him. "Being compared to that asshole is a _major_ insult. But Chelsea's right. I was referring to his powers. I hardly know Logan, but he's probably more like Stone than any of the others. He seems to keep to himself."

"He's been through a lot," Pierce said softly. "And right now, he has no idea who he is..."

"We'll find him," Chelsea said firmly. "Don't worry. I'll get through to him."

"He needs you, Chelsea," Laby said. "Just like Stone needed Avona. I can tell he has to fight against his dark side... Be his light."

"Always," Chelsea vowed. She paused. "Pierce... Is this going to be a legal problem for you? I mean... He's your guardian."

"For now, we're all here under the cover story of the bullshit exchange program Allie and Insu came up with. As long as I'm staying in this house, I should be fine... But if social services has reason to think Logan's an unfit guardian, I'll have to stay with Amos. They can't touch me on Reservation land."

"You _can't_ go back to Stone Hollow, Pierce. You need to be here, with the team, where it's sort of safe," Chelsea said. She tried not to think about what had happened the last time they'd all been in Stone Hollow. Then, suddenly, an idea flashed through her head. "Wait, _Stone Hollow!"_ She shouted.

"What _about_ it?" Darcy asked in confusion.

"Logan thinks he's Neptune. Neptune is trained to return to the Rebels. He's probably headed for their base!"

"I feel _so_ stupid for not thinking of that..." Pierce mumbled.

"Don't feel bad, Pierce. We can't _all_ be geniuses," Chelsea teased him. "I'll go after him-"

"You will _not,"_ Darcy said firmly.

"But, Darcy-"

"It's too dangerous. We'll tell Captain Smith. Neptune trusted him."

"He trusted _me,_ too. _Before_ he was really Logan."

"He did, but right now, he doesn't remember that. Do you still have Dr. Hope's number?"

"Yeah," Chelsea replied.

"You call her. Ask her to be on standby in case we need her help. Laby, please ask Captain Smith to help us with this."

"He agreed to help earlier. After his Chapter collected that asshole's remains, they started the search. I'll update him," Laby promised.

"Good. Hopefully Chelsea's right and they can find him and bring him back to us."

Chelsea wanted to protest, but she knew Darcy was right. Running straight into a trap was probably a pretty bad idea. They had no idea whether or not Logan was still with the Eltarians who'd kidnapped him. Laby might think Chelsea descended from an Eltarian, but that didn't mean she could take on a Sorceress with homicidal tendencies. Sure, she'd taken Felina in fights before, but she suspected this bitch would be different.

 _She's just from New Jersey. You can_ totally _take a Jersey bitch,_ Chelsea thought. Still, she resisted the urge to test that theory. For now, her team needed her to stay in Angel Grove. She had to believe that Logan would find his way back to her.

 _ **NEPTUNE**_  
He was starving. He'd been traveling for hours without stopping to rest. He reached in his jacket pocket and discovered cash. He knew he should head straight to the base, but the promise of one restaurant in particular was too much to resist.

"Toddy's..." Neptune read the name aloud. Everything in him was screaming to go inside, but he was pretty sure he'd never been there before. Still, he walked into the restaurant and sat down to order food.

"Cheese fries," he mumbled. " _Finally_... _Why_ can't I stop craving these things?"

"What'll it be, hun?" The waitress asked cheerfully.

"Cheese fries," he replied. "And... A Toddy's Double with all the fixings."

"And to drink?"

"A chocolate milkshake."

"You've got it." She smiled.

A young woman slipped into the booth. "I'll have two of what he's having," she said.

Neptune stared at her in confusion. "My treat," she added. "I'm starving, and I'm about to work up even more of an appetite."

The waitress left to get their order. "Who the hell are _you?"_ Neptune demanded. The girl made him nervous for reasons he couldn't understand.

"I'm Sophie Rogers. We met before, but I'm guessing you don't remember that," she said.

A slight flash of memory hit, but the strange device in his pocket electrocuted him and it was gone.

"Easy there, _Sparky_ ," Sophie said. "First thing's first... Hand over the morpher, or that's going to keep happening."

"Morpher?" Neptune asked in confusion.

"Yeah, the thing in your pocket. It's misfiring and attacking you."

"How do you know me?" He asked skeptically. He took out the morpher, but did not hand it to her.

"I tried to help you before. The Bitch Witch, Felina, was trying to electrocute you because you were starting to remember your brother, Pierce."

"Pierce..." The morpher zapped him worse this time.

"Oh, for fuck's sake..." Sophie mumbled. She grabbed the misfiring morpher, flipped it over, and disabled it impressively fast. "Let's try this again. I'm a _friend_ , Neptune. I have powers... And I'm going to pull the excess electricity out of you."

"I have to return to the base. I _must_ find Raff..."

Sophie sighed. "Neptune... I'm sorry, but Raffitty is dead. I _know_ you can feel that... But I can help you. I _promise._ I tried to before, but when you asked to leave, I had to let you go."

His chest ached, but on some level, he'd already known. Something simply didn't feel right. Still, he couldn't quite understand it.

"There is only one way for Raff to die," he said softly.

"Yes, Neptune," Sophie told him gently. "When Raffitty got involved with Zell out of desperation, Zell revealed he intended to drain him continuously to fuel himself. Raff's power to absorb the gifts of others was extremely useful to Zell because he could steal those powers from him. He realized Zell would become unstoppable, so he betrayed him and found you."

"Me..." Neptune wanted to scream. "I wouldn't kill Raff... I... I _couldn't."_

"You _had_ to. It was the only way to protect everyone else." She paused, watching him as the truth sank in.

"Raff... What did you make me do?" He whispered in horror. _No. No, no,_ no, _I can't have killed him... I have to stop this..._ He thought.

Suddenly, Neptune felt himself falling. He saw someone standing with him. "Hello, my dear boy," the man greeted him. "I am _so_ pleased to see you here."

There was nothing physical around them. Electrical lines seemed to flow everywhere, but none of them touched them. It was somehow simultaneously blindingly light and completely dark in this place. Nothing made sense and nothing remained stable for more than a moment at a time.

"Where are we?" Neptune asked.

"This place is not a place," the man replied patiently. "It exists outside of time and space. Most cannot find it, and even fewer can navigate it properly."

"How am I here?"

"You and I share the gift to navigate this realm as we desire. I can feel you have been here before, yet you have kept it a secret from everyone. Not even your brother knows you figured out how to do this. It is good you protected that secret, my dear boy. If they knew you had unlocked this power, they would try to stop you." He paused. "You are _quite_ distressed. What has happened?"

His concern seemed genuine, but there was something about the man Neptune did not trust. "Who are you?" He asked.

"I am Zell, Great Wizard of Eltar. I believe the better question is, who are _you?"_

For some reason, he couldn't lie to him. "I am Neptune, Assassin for the Rebellion of Eltar. I come from the Stone Hollow Chapter."

"Oh, my... What a gift _this_ is..." Zell said softly. "What is it that troubles you so, my boy?"

"I was told that I..." He lowered his head in shame. "That I killed Raffitty, my Chapter's Captain. I wanted desperately to change that, and then, here I was."

Zell nodded sympathetically. "You did not recall your powers because of whatever set you back to Neptune... However, your desire to save Raffitty brought you to this place."

"You mean... I can stop it from happening?"

"You _can_ , my dear boy... But you _shouldn't_." Zell paused before continuing. "Raffitty _lied_ to you. Your name is not Neptune. He gave you that name after rescuing you from the sea. Prior to that, you were called Franklin. I believe you went by... _Frankie_. Yes, that was it. More recently, you began to use your middle name to identify yourself... Logan. That name gives you great power and has helped you truly find yourself. I believe it has become your _true_ identity. Raffitty was _using_ you, my dear boy. He knew you were meant to kill him, and he intended to end your life before the prophecy could come to pass, but when he saw the broken, abused boy you were, he saw himself in you. He decided to keep you brainwashed, away from your family, and turn you into a soldier."

Neptune frowned. "Raff rescued me. He did what he thought was best for me."

"He made you a _murderer,_ my boy. He _lied_ to you. I promise you this... If you agree to stand at my side, I will tell you the truth, and _only_ the truth." Zell paused. Something about his words was soothing and deeply tempting.

"The truth..." Neptune repeated.

"I can help you become who you are _meant_ to be, Logan. _Everyone_ in your life is trying to hold you back, but I wish to help you reach your full potential." Zell looked into his eyes. "Allow them to fix your mind, my boy. You'll need to do this willingly, and you cannot make that choice with your memories clouded by electricity and brainwashing. When the time is right, come find me."

"If you're so powerful, why don't _you_ fix me?" Neptune challenged him.

"That is an excellent question, my dear boy. The truth is, I am but an echo of myself, left in this place in case of an emergency. I am perhaps the weakest of the aspects hidden throughout time and space. With the fact that I sense my main self is gravely wounded, I currently possess no true power of my own."

"You admitted weakness... I could destroy you right now, _couldn't_ I?"

"Yes, Logan. I have no doubt in my mind that you could easily kill this aspect of me where I stand."

"Yet you told me it was possible."

"I promised to tell you the truth."

Neptune nodded. "You did." He paused. "Raff _really_ lied to me?"

"Yes. For _six_ _years_."

"You're not one of the good guys. Eltar calls you a monster."

"I am not what I claimed to be, however, good and evil are _illusions_ , Logan. I am simply not afraid to seek power. At least with me, you know what you are getting, my boy. There shall be no more lies or deceptions."

"You lied to the entire _universe."_

"Yes... But I shall _not_ lie to _you_."

Suddenly, a portal opened, knocking Zell and Neptune both back. Sophie looked at Zell and said, "I _doubt_ that, Zell."

"The soldier's wife..." Zell mumbled in annoyance.

"And the archer's daughter... But I prefer _Sophie."_ She sent a huge, terrifying jolt of electricity through Zell. He screamed in pain, unable to absorb that much power at once, and vanished. Neptune was certain he hadn't escaped.

"You _killed_ him," he said in horror.

"Only that itty, bitty piece of him. He was weak. I've done that to him before and it usually just wounds him and knocks him on his ass for a bit... Did he hurt you?"

"No," Neptune replied. Flashes of Sophie electrocuting him filled his mind. " _That's_ why I was afraid of you..." He whispered. "You did that to _me."_ He began backing away from her in terror.

"Okay, yes, I electrocuted you... But I was trying to _help_ you," Sophie said. "You were _so_ close to remembering being Frankie, but Felina was shocking you to make you forget and to activate the programming. I was trying to target the programming and short it out so they couldn't activate it anymore. It worked on Bucky."

"Bucky?"

"My best friend, the Winter Soldier."

"You're... You're talking about comic book characters," he realized.

"Actually, we're real. We just live in another realm... But you're familiar with us?"

"Van likes the movies... I've watched a few with him, but I don't like that one... The electrocution and programming scenes are difficult to watch."

"Considering that's what the Rebels did to you, that's understandable. Look, I'm Captain America's wife, and Hawkeye's daughter. I'm not in the movies."

"I'm _so_ confused right now..." Neptune mumbled.

"I know you are... So let me help you."

 _Allow them to fix your mind,_ Zell's words echoed in his head.

"Okay," he said reluctantly. "You don't have to electrocute me, do you?"

"Not this time. My friend Doctor Hope broke the programming with magic. It's _still_ broken. This is probably PTSD-induced. It happens to Bucky sometimes, too. I need to pull the excess electricity out of you," Sophie explained.

That sounded good. Neptune nodded. "Go ahead."

"Not here. There's too high a risk of us running into other Zells. This place is his domain."

"How did you find me?"

"My portals can send me through time thanks to some complications. It wasn't easy to get to this place, though. It doesn't exist in a traditional way. I pretty much had to focus on you and use that to get here." She offered him her hand. "Come on. Let's go back to Toddy's. The food should be getting to our table any minute now."

Neptune went with her. They arrived about twenty blocks away from the restaurant. "My portals short out electronics," Sophie explained. "We'll take that." She motioned toward a motorcycle.

"Why didn't _that_ short out?" Neptune asked.

"I know how to protect my tech," Sophie replied. She handed him a helmet. "Get on."

"Don't _you_ need a helmet?"

"I have enhanced healing. A head injury won't do much to me, but if it makes you feel better..." She pulled out a second helmet and put it on. "Steve insists I wear it, too, when he's with me." She revved the engine before Neptune climbed on the back of the motorcycle. Then, she took off speeding as he held onto her for dear life.

They made it to Toddy's in record time. The waitress brought their food over seconds later. As they sat down, Sophie took Neptune's hands in her own. He could feel the excess electricity leaving his body through his hands. Soon, he felt better.

"Eat," Sophie said. "I'm starving, and you need your strength."

In a flash, everything hit him at once. Logan... Because _that_ was who he was, and he remembered that now... felt sick. "Oh God... I shot Van..." He whispered in shock. "And..." He covered his mouth in horror.

 _Freddy... Oh, God,_ please _don't let Freddy be dead,_ he thought. He was pretty sure Van would have survived his wound, but he'd been aiming to kill when he shot Freddy.

"Neptune, _breathe,"_ Sophie said.

"Logan..." He said softly.

" _Good_. Breathe, Logan. You're going to be okay."

"But my team... I _hurt_ them... I even hurt _Allie_."

"I'm sure Allie's fine. She _can't_ get seriously hurt, remember?"

"But I hurt Van... And... And I think I _killed_ Freddy..." He felt tears in his eyes. "I'm a monster... I'm still a threat to them..."

"No. You're _not._ Your trauma, coupled with this apparently _cursed_ morpher, did those things. You'd _never_ willingly hurt your team. Now, eat. Toddy's fixes _everything,_ remember?"

"Not _this_." He shook his head. "I killed Raff... I killed the Prime Minister... I killed _Freddy_... Neptune _isn't_ dead... He's just been sleeping."

"Logan... _Stop_. Neptune was brainwashed and tortured. Frankie was just a scared, abused kid who was trying to save himself and his baby brother. You're not either of those people anymore. You're _Logan._ You're Pierce's big brother. You're Chelsea's boyfriend. You're a Power Ranger. You're a _good_ person." She paused. "Now, eat your cheese fries before they get cold."

Logan obediently began to eat. The food was comforting, but it didn't undo everything else he was feeling. He barely noticed when the door to the restaurant opened until he heard a voice say, "Sir! He's here!"

Logan looked up and spotted Kizzie and Captain Smith making their way toward his table. "Mrs. Rogers," Captain Smith said, nodding his head respectfully.

"Captain Smith," she replied. "You can just call me Sophie."

"Tell me... _Neptune_? Are you alright?" Captain Smith asked.

"Logan," Logan corrected him softly.

"Excellent news! Thank you for your assistance, Sophie."

She waved off his gratitude casually. "It was the least I could do," she replied. "Join us. The food's great, and I'm buying."

"We'll happily join you, but I _insist_ on paying," Captain Smith said.

"I'm guessing arguing would be pointless here?"

"You are correct," Kizzie said with a smile.

Sophie shrugged. She flagged the waitress down so Captain Smith and Kizzie could order food.

"So, Luv... Do you want to talk about it?" Kizzie asked gently.

"Freddy..." Logan said. "Is he...? I killed him, right?"

"The boy lives," Captain Smith reassured him quickly. "Your brother was able to revive him."

Logan let out a sob of relief. "Oh God... Is he okay?"

"He's a strong lad," Kizzie said. "He's more worried about _you_ than anything from what I understand."

"And Van? I hurt him..."

"Vancello is fine as well," Captain Smith replied. "Andie made certain he made a full recovery."

Logan nodded. "They're okay..." He whispered.

"Your morphers appear to have been tampered with, Logan. Lady Eleanor sent Mena in search of the true set. These belonged to another group, and it seems Zell has cursed them. It's a miracle none of you were killed."

"You mean this isn't supposed to be my morpher?"

"No. That morpher was meant to belong to an Eltarian named Stone. He possesses great power... He and his brother could have rivaled Zell had Talon survived... But his magic is based in Water. It is quite surprising this morpher ever worked for you."

"What happens now?"

"Now, we will return to Angel Grove. Mena's gift should enable her to find the true morphers, but for now, you must surrender this set. These morphers are a danger to your team."

Logan looked at the morpher that had caused all of this trouble to begin with. "Happily," he said. "I don't ever want to touch that thing again."

"I'll take it to Lady Eleanor," Sophie said. "It should be kept with the rest of the set so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

They finished eating as Logan pondered how the hell he was supposed to face his team after everything he'd done. He ignored the soft voice in the back of his head saying, _when you're ready, come find me._

 _ **ZIZI**_  
Greece really _was_ beautiful. Zizi was almost tempted to stay and explore, but she knew they needed to find the Rebels. As soon as night began to fall, she headed toward their last known location.

 _Elysium_ was an absolutely stunning structure with classical Greek architecture. It looked like the Gods themselves would party there. "Whoa... Nice," Bax said as they walked through the archway at the entrance and took in the scene. "The Greeks have _style."_

"Thank you," a voice said, making them both jump.

"Dezzanna!" Zizi said as she spotted the Greek Chapter's top Sorceress. She quickly kissed each of her cheeks.

"How _are_ you, Zizi? I see you brought a friend as well," Dezzanna replied.

"This is Bax," Zizi explained. "He's..."

"With the Alliance?" Dezzanna guessed. "Don't worry, Zizi. We were already informed of your loyalties. After all, they are the same as _ours_."

"You're working with Zell?" Bax asked in surprise.

"As a collective Chapter, we have decided to back the Great Wizard of Eltar," Dezzanna confirmed. "We have had dealings with Zell in the past and find working with him to be mutually beneficial. In fact, we recently procured a child for him."

 _So_ that's _who brought A'Vah to him,_ Zizi realized. "So, this club is quite the hotspot, huh?" She asked.

" _Elysium_ is wonderfully popular with locals and tourists alike, but it's nothing compared to _Olympus_... That's exclusively for the wealthiest and most elite members of Greek's high society. It's on the rooftop, in an enclosed glass dome. _Everyone_ wants to be granted access, but only the best are allowed inside. And then, of course, there's our underground club, _the_ _Underworld._ People only learn about it by word of mouth and, officially, it doesn't exist."

"Is it as illegal and fun as it sounds?" Bax asked.

"In _the Underworld,_ all of your darkest fantasies are realized. No one is judged and they're welcome to feed any hunger they may have, be it alcohol, drugs, gambling, bondage games, or torturing the willing."

" _Any_ fantasy?" Bax asked.

"We _do_ enforce a _strict_ policy of banning anyone under the age of twenty-one from attending that club," Dezzanna clarified. "The Rebellion does not endorse child abuse and neither do we. Other than that, we believe that trustworthy consenting adults should be free to do whatever they like and we offer them a sanctuary... For a _price."_

"Let me guess... That club makes the bulk of your money," Zizi said.

"Actually, _Olympus_ does. The wealthy will pay _any_ price to prove how easily they can throw money around. _The Underworld_ provides an _excellent_ cover for the Rebellion, however. We can conduct illicit affairs out in the open and are connected to a great number of willing informants. The number of corrupt politicians and businessmen who frequent our business is astonishing, and they have no idea that we are patiently hunting them."

"I'm kind of impressed," Zizi admitted. "I know a lot of Chapters run businesses as a front, but I've never seen one that literally created a business just to lure out their targets."

"It's _quite_ efficient," Dezzanna agreed. "And they just keep lining up, begging to expose their nasty little secrets to us. Come. Let me show you." She led them down eight staircases, each growing darker until they were lit only by torches. Dezzanna knocked on a door in a very specific pattern. The door swung open.

"Hey, Dezz... New meat?" The man at the door asked before spotting Zizi. "I'll be damned... _Zydia?_ I heard you were _dead_ ," he said in surprise. "And you're _blonde_ now? Hot!"

"She _is_ dead," Zizi replied. "I'm her daughter, Zizi."

"Little Zizanyah?" He asked in surprise. "Look at _you,_ all grown up. I'm Kiddius, but you probably don't remember me. You were practically a toddler the last time I saw you. Anytime you've come through here undercover, I've been busy running tactical missions. Welcome... to... _the Underworld,"_ he finished dramatically.

"Hi. I'm Baxzon," Bax introduced himself. " _Also_ part of both the Rebellion and the Alliance. You can call me Bax."

"Ah, yes, yes! _Welcome!_ It's always nice to meet new friends," Kiddius said.

"I was hoping to find Niko or Phestian to discuss offering our friends sanctuary until we can join them with the Great Wizard," Dezzanna said.

"The Captain is busy entertaining a few lady guests, but Phestian's right over there." Kiddius pointed to a man who was tending the bar.

Dezzanna led Zizi and Bax to the Lieutenant of the Greek Chapter of the Rebellion. He looked up at them in surprise. "My Gods... It is like looking at a ghost," he whispered. "Zizanyah... If it is possible, you have grown even more beautiful than your mother was. I am truly sorry for your loss. She was a remarkable woman."

Zizi normally would have replied with sarcasm, but Phestian's grief was too genuine to insult. Few men had possessed the nerve to romantically pursue her mother, who'd declared love a weakness she would never allow herself to experience, but it was clear this man had developed feelings for her. As far as Zizi knew, he'd never acted on them. That was probably better for his sake.

"She was one of a kind," Zizi replied politely.

"And to lose poor Rupi as well... He was a good soldier, far more clever than anyone gave him credit for."

Zizi felt an unexpected wave of emotion wash over her. "Yes... My uncle was a genuinely good man. His loss still hurts," she admitted.

"Apologies... I might call you 'dear,' but if you're anything like your mother, you'd pull a knife on me if I dared to." He chuckled at the thought. Her mother had done that often, especially to Garron. "Instead, may I offer you a drink?"

"Now _that_ sounds good," Zizi admitted.

" _Hell_ yes," Bax agreed. "We _need_ drinks after the last few days we've had."

Phestian began pouring drinks for them. Zizi downed hers in one straight shot. Phestian grinned as he refilled her glass. "You _are_ like Zydia," he said.

"I don't know about _that_ , but I can _definitely_ drink like her," Zizi replied. She downed her second drink and allowed him to pour her another.

Bax grinned. " _Now_ it's a party," he declared, downing his own drink.

"As you know, the Great Wizard's base was destroyed," Dezzanna told Phestian. "These two fortunately found their way to us. I was hoping to offer them sanctuary in our city until we are ready to join with him."

"Of course," Phestian said. "This girl is Zydia's _daughter,_ Dezzanna. I would offer her sanctuary even if she was _not_ working for the Great Wizard." He smiled at her kindly. "As for her friend, if he is on our side, he is welcome to stay. Niko and I agreed to help any Alliance member who should need it."

"Excellent. I'll prepare two rooms for you."

"We can share," Bax said cheerfully.

"No thanks. I've had enough of sharing a room with you," Zizi said. "Thanks, Dezzanna. I appreciate your help."

"Of course, Zizi," she replied. "Take good care of them, Phes." She walked away.

"Another round?" Phestian asked.

"Hit me," Bax said.

Zizi whacked the back of his head very hard. " _Ouch_!" Bax cried, putting his hand to his head before he looked at Zizi. He started laughing. "Okay... I walked into that."

"You did," Zizi confirmed with a grin. She had to admit, when Bax laughed in such a carefree way, he seemed a lot less evil. She wondered if he had some small shred of good trapped inside of him, desperate to escape.

 _Probably not,_ she decided. Bax had done too many evil things to be considered redeemable... Yet it was times like this when he seemed like a normal boy. He was a fool, to be certain, but was he _truly_ pure evil? She couldn't be sure sometimes, but it hardly mattered. Bax would have to be put down just like Zell unless something drastic changed his choices.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_  
 _ **MISTRESS CHEETAH**_  
The time had come. Mistress Cheetah and her minions had finished preparing. It was now or never.

"On my order," she instructed them. She raised her favorite sword before declaring, " _Now!"_

The army of minions rushed through the portal. They were massive in number and had a large variety of powers between them. Not only was all of Onyx behind Mistress Cheetah, but monsters had come from across the galaxy in the hopes of joining her ranks as word of her power spread. Some simply hoped to have a powerful new leader to serve. Others hoped she would protect them from Zell. She chose only those who proved worthy and loyal, slaughtering anyone who dared to take her tests and fail.

The people of Eltar were unprepared. They panicked at the onslaught of monsters. "Take as many of them alive as you can," Mistress Cheetah instructed her minions. "Some may join us. Others shall make excellent hostages when the time comes to negotiate."

"Negotiate, Mistress?" Minion Six-hundred-and-three, according to his name tag, asked.

"Yes, Six-oh-Three," she replied. "I wish to enslave the population of Eltar beneath my reign. If they have innocent people to protect, they are more likely to surrender."

"Ah! Of course! How clever!" He praised her.

"Run along now. I have work to do," she said, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. She turned toward the man who approached her now.

He was clearly a soldier. Everything about the way he carried himself _screamed_ that fact. "State your demands," he said firmly.

"My _demands?"_ Mistress Cheetah repeated. She laughed coldly. "What I demand is that the people of this planet kneel at my feet in surrender!"

"Eltar shall _not_ give in to such ludicrous demands."

"Oh... Pity," she replied. "I suppose we'll just have to leave then." She turned around before snapping her fingers. Lightning struck the man straight through his heart. He fell at her feet, dead.

Gasps could be heard from the gathering crowd. Some screamed and began to run. Mistress Cheetah smiled to herself. "Time to play," she said cheerfully. Her minions began to chase after the terrified Eltarians. Mistress Cheetah headed straight toward the closest target. The building was large and she could feel the energy of many people inside. When she opened the front door, a terrified woman met her there.

"Please..." The woman whimpered.

"What is this place?" Mistress Cheetah asked.

"This is a school," the woman replied with tears in her eyes. "There are children here... Innocent little ones who have done nothing to you..."

Mistress Cheetah looked around. She realized there were rooms full of children nearby. "You appear to be telling the truth," she said. "Good. Continue to do that and we will not have a problem."

"Are you... Are you going to hurt us?"

"Not today." Mistress Cheetah called over Minion Seventy-Seven. "Your magic is powerful. Cast a charm upon this school so that no one may enter or leave the building."

"Are we going to blow it up?" She asked eagerly.

"No. My quarrel is not with the children or their teachers. Besides, when we take over this planet, they'll make excellent minions."

"Of course, Mistress." The minion began casting a spell.

Mistress Cheetah looked at the woman at the door. "Go tell everyone I have spared your lives in exchange for your loyalty. The spell will ultimately be broken so you can leave the building when it is safe."

Gratefully, the woman nodded. She ran to the nearest classroom. "Come, Seventy-Seven," Mistress Cheetah said when she had finished casting the spell. They moved on from the building.

Moving through town, Mistress Cheetah was met with two kinds of Eltarians. Some immediately ran in a blind panic or dropped to their knees begging for their lives to be spared. Those were the ones she left unharmed. Then, there were those who attempted to fight back. She slaughtered them as easily as she had slaughtered the disobedient monsters on Onyx. Corpses littered the ground. She was pleased by the bloodshed.

"When will our first assault end?" Xanti asked.

"After we breach and take control of the Counsel Building," Mistress Cheetah replied. "There's some distance between us and that building so far. Have as much fun as you like along the way." She laughed before slaughtering several members of the Eltarian Guard as they raced toward them. One after the other, they fell.

"Our intelligence says that Eltar's new Prime Minister is Anise, sister of Zordon and daughter of Zell. She will not be easy to defeat, and she is unlikely to surrender."

"Anise despises her father as much as I do. She may see things my way... And if she does not, then I look forward to facing a worthy opponent. Now... I need to find a way to feed my energy." She looked at one of the new Guards approaching. "Yes, he'll do," she decided. She grabbed the Guard by his face and kissed his lips hard. She despised kissing random victims, but it fed her succubus genes and gave her power. He was trembling as she sucked every ounce of his life force from his body. When his heart stopped, she tossed him aside casually.

"Are you sated?" Xanti asked.

"For now," she replied. She began moving through town again.

"You are glorious," he said as he followed her. "I am truly honored to call you my kin."

She smiled wickedly. "You'll feel that even more once we fully take this planet as our own." She was on an energy high from the life force she'd stolen. Everything was working out quite nicely. She struck down her next target as the woman dared to aim a sword at her. More terrified Eltarians fled at the sight of that, and she knew they would be easy to rule over so long as they understood how ruthless she could be.

 _ **ZORDON**_

The chorus of panicked Alphas shouting all at once got his attention. "Alphas? What is the problem?" Zordon asked in concern.

"Zordon! _Aye-yi-yi!_ We are receiving multiple distress calls from Eltar. It seems the planet is under attack," Alpha Five explained.

Zordon turned toward the viewing globe. Sure enough, a massive attack was underway on his home planet. "Is it my father?" He asked in horror as he took in the scene.

"I don't believe that it is," Alpha Three replied politely. "The army comes from all over the galaxy, but I believe that the leader is a female... Behold the viewing globe!" She finished dramatically, pulling up an image of the one leading the slaughter.

Zordon's heart broke as he realized what was happening. "Lily..." He said softly.

"Zordon, the people of Eltar need immediate assistance," Alpha Twenty-Six said. "What shall we do?"

"We must send aid... My sister is powerful, but the people need help right away and she can only get to so many of them at once." He made a quick list of Power Rangers he trusted with the mission.

Moments later, the Alphas teleported them in. Andros, V, Zhane, Karone, Troy, and Gia had been natural choices, since they'd gone with him to Eltar the last time it was under attack. Although Nessa had not been on the list since she could no longer morph, she was also present. So were Cassie and Lucas.

"I hope you don't mind, but I asked Cassie to join us," Andros said. "After all, I consider her part of my team even if her current powers are from Turbo."

"Of course. I welcome your help, Cassie," Zordon said.

"Thanks, Zordon, Cassie replied.

"I would like to help as well," Lucas said. "This is too important for me to sit on the sidelines."

Zordon knew Lucas had volunteered not only to do what he felt was right but to ensure Cassie remained safe. "I have no issue with that. You and Cassie have proven you work well together," Zordon replied. "Thank you all for coming."

Gia was beaming as she asked, "When do I get to beat up some monsters?"

Zordon managed a small smile at that. "Rangers... Eltar is under attack from Mistress Cheetah and her army," he explained. "Please, use care. Mistress Cheetah may be evil, but Lily is not. If we can bring her back alive, I believe she can still be saved from my father's magic. Her will is incredibly strong. She is the only Ranger of the Flame who was able to resist him."

"We'll do everything we can to bring her home safely," Troy promised.

"Thank you," Zordon said. He turned to Nessa. "Nessa, it is admirable you have come, however, I cannot allow you to go on this mission when you cannot morph."

Nessa paused thoughtfully. "If that's your only issue, Zordon, I'd like to respectfully point out that I couldn't morph the _last_ time Eltar was under attack, either. I wasn't even a Power Ranger... Yet I took down half of the attacking Rebels on my own. I don't need powers to help, Zordon... Eltar is my _home_. I should be there to defend it," Nessa said. "I am prepared to do whatever I must to assist, even if it risks my safety."

He sighed. He knew she was right. "Very well, Nessa. Your decision is courageous, but please be cautious. I do not want anything to happen to you on this journey."

"I'll be cautious for once in my life," Nessa promised. "I just want to help."

"We'll keep her safe," Troy vowed.

"Zordon... Might I make a suggestion?" Alpha Three asked.

"Of course, Three. What is it?" Zordon asked.

"Call on some of the Rebels. That's the last thing Lily would expect for you to do, and they know the ins and outs of Eltar better than anyone."

"I am still uncertain which Rebels can be fully trusted," Zordon said after a moment.

"Captain Smith's people are trustworthy. I know that he and Kizzie went after Logan, but I believe the boy is safe now. Call on them, and I am certain they will assist us."

Zordon nodded. "You are correct, Three. No one would see that coming. Go ahead and bring them here."

To his surprise, Captain Smith's Chapter arrived with company. Lido and Laby stood together with a few people Zordon did not recognize and one he did. "Stone?" He asked, his eyes going wide.

Stone looked at him stoically. "Hello, Zordon," he greeted him respectfully.

"What are you doing here?"

"You are _quite_ wise, Zordon. I _know_ you don't need me to answer that question."

"You're one of the Rebels..." He shook his head. That was quite possibly the _last_ thing he'd expected, but he didn't have time to dwell on it.

"We want to help, Great Sage," one of the women with Stone said sweetly. "I am Annabrooke, of Eltar, and these are my sisters, Leela, Aylane, and Jessa. We'd have brought Wynter and Ace as well, but someone needed to stay back and ensure the twins do not cause any trouble while we are away."

"Good call," Laby said with a laugh.

"We assumed you might need the extra help, Zordon," Captain Smith said. "It is clear you already know in your heart that Stone is a good man. The Sisterhood are part of his Chapter, and they were exceptionally close to your aunt, Serafine. You can trust them."

"I don't have time to doubt you," Zordon said with a sigh. "Eltar needs immediate aid." He hesitated, looking at Lido and Laby. "This is very dangerous... And she may target you both because of my father's connection to you."

"What's she gonna do? _Kill_ me?" Laby joked lightly. "Don't worry, Zordon. I'll protect everyone else."

Lido looked at Zordon seriously. "I was not part of the previous attack on Eltar," he said. "It grieves me deeply that innocent children were slaughtered. Had I been there, I would have stopped Zydia and Garron from attacking the children. I could not help then. Allow me to make a difference now."

Zordon and Lido hadn't had many interactions since Lido had been saved from his father's spell. The man had been like an uncle to him when he was a boy. In truth, at times, Lido had been in his life more than his own father had. He missed him deeply, but he couldn't bring himself to be around him much because he reminded him of his mother. That pain was one Zordon still had difficulty facing. "Of course, Lido," he replied.

" _Yo-yo-yo,_ are we gonna beam these guys up, or what?" Alpha Six asked impatiently.

"Yes... We must send help now. The portal is open outside of the Command Center. Please, assist the people of Eltar, and get to my sister as soon as possible," Zordon said. He desperately wanted to go with them, but he knew that wasn't going to be possible. He was needed on Earth, especially if his father was still on the planet.

 _ **ANDROS**_  
It wasn't easy to look at the damage Lily had done on Eltar. Innocents had been slaughtered. Body parts littered the ground. The level of destruction was heartbreaking. Still, Andros knew the relief mission needed a leader, and that role naturally fell to him.

"Stay in groups," Andros instructed everyone. He was surprised when Captain Smith nodded at the Rebels.

"Andros of KO35 is in charge of this mission," the Captain informed them. "Heed his instructions." Respectfully, he added, "If that's alright with _you_ , Stone?"

"Zordon trusts him, and his reputation is a powerful one. I believe Andros is more than competent to lead today," Stone replied.

Andros hadn't expected such respect from the Rebels. He recovered from his shock quickly. "Thank you, Captain Smith... Stone..." He said. He took a deep breath, realizing it was not only the Power Rangers he was leading. "Alright... Nessa, Troy, I want you guys to focus on search and rescue... Um... Captain Smith, are there any of your group best suited for that role?"

"Tedius is a healer, first and foremost. His skills are at your service," Captain Smith replied.

"Aylane's a telepath and an empath. She should be able to sense survivors," Stone added.

"Of course," the one Andros assumed was Aylane replied with a respectful nod of her head.

"I'm also about to call in more help," Stone said.

"More help? Who?" Andros asked.

"Some of the most trustworthy Rebels," Stone replied. "Plurri's one of the strongest healers I've ever met. Vagris and Rhanna are gifted warriors. They were once part of Zell's Elite Counsel, as was I. I would trust them with my life."

Andros hesitated. "Andros," V said softly. "Give them a chance. Look around. We are in no position to refuse help."

Andros sighed. "Alright. Is there anyone who's _not_ part of the Rebellion that we can call? Why didn't Zordon send Lady Eleanor with us?"

"My team's in danger right now and they need her," Nessa replied. "If Logan attacks, she's their best defense besides Pierce, and no one wants to put that on his kid brother... Besides, Lady Eleanor might just kill Lily if she sees what she's done. I love and respect that woman to death, but she's _deeply_ frustrating when she decides someone has to be punished. Justice is black and white to her. She doesn't often budge on that."

"That's an excellent point," Andros admitted. He and Lady Eleanor shared that trait in common, but he was trying to learn to give people second chances. After all, his own sister had been evil once.

Andros spared a look at Karone. She was taking in the carnage left in Lily's wake, but so far, she hadn't morphed into Astronema. He noticed her staring at a building that had been destroyed. She began digging through the rubble.

"That poor girl..." Karone said softly.

"What is it, Karone?" Andros asked.

"This building was destroyed very deliberately and thoroughly... It was personal for Lily, so I wanted to figure out why," Karone replied. She picked up the fragments of a destroyed sign. "It was a wedding chapel."

"So?" Zhane asked.

V whacked him on the back of his head. " _Think,_ Brother," she said.

Suddenly, Zhane seemed to understand. "This was about Theo..."

"She's been turned evil, but Lily's still in there," Karone said sympathetically. "And even though she can't process it like she would have before she was turned, Lily is hurting. _Badly."_ She traced the letters of the sign before sighing. "This could just as easily have been _me..._ We _need_ to help her, guys."

"We will," Andros promised. "Back to assignments... Um... Rebels, what are your specialties?" He asked awkwardly.

"I'm Leela, and I have air magic," one of the sisters said. "I'll focus on search and rescue. I'm good at things like that. Jessa should, too. Her visions may help us find people we'd otherwise miss."

"I'm happy to help," the one Andros assumed was Jessa replied.

"I'd like to fight... If you'll let me?" Annabrooke said to Stone.

"Annabrooke is telekinetic... And, more importantly, she's pyrokinetic. She's the youngest of the Sisterhood, but she packs a punch," Stone explained.

"Okay. We could use the firepower," Andros agreed.

"I work best in battle," B'Danna volunteered.

Andros knew that about her. "Having seen your skill with a sword, I agree," he said.

"My magic is at your service. I can battle with the best, and I can heal in an emergency," Kizzie said.

"Great. Captain Smith, I know you're a warrior," Andros said. "Lido is as well." He paused. "Um... Laby, I'm not sure how to classify you," he admitted.

Laby laughed. "I'm in a class of my own. Stick me in the heart of the fight. I have all _sorts_ of tricks that can be useful. Besides, I'm no healer, and... I'm not big on search and rescue," he replied. The look in his eyes told Andros Laby had seen entirely too much death in his time.

"Alright. Gia, you're coming with the fighters," Andros said.

"Just point me at the monsters," Gia replied with a grin.

"Cassie, Lucas, I want you guys helping with search and rescue. Lead everyone you can to safety. Zhane, Karone, V... You guys are with me and the fighters."

"Team Asskicking. Got it," Zhane replied cheerfully.

Andros ignored him. "Let's move out," he said.

"Apologies... Am I late to the party?" A man Andros didn't know asked. He hadn't even sensed him coming. " _Someone_ forgot to invite me."

"Trerry. Welcome," Stone said. A slight smile played at his lips. "I wasn't sure if you were on the planet."

"No matter... Now, let me see if I got everything... This crazy Mistress Cheetah woman is trying to take over Eltar, just like she took over Onyx, because she wants to destroy Zell, who turned her evil? Sounds like _that_ backfired. It also seems like she'd make one hell of an ally, but she's bent on gaining power... Which makes her Zell, the Sequel. So, do we kill her, imprison her, or do I just force my way into her mind and shatter his hold?" Trerry asked casually, as if they were discussing the weather.

"It's not mind control," Laby said.

"Holy _shit!_ Laby? Where in all of the universe have you been hiding, you crazy bastard?" Trerry asked. He pulled Laby into an embrace.

"I drank New Orleans dry for the last five years," Laby replied. "Before that, Texas... Vegas... Ireland... Scotland... Anywhere with a nice supply of booze, really."

"You're literally the _only_ person who could hide from me," Trerry said with a laugh. "I know why you ran. Are you doing better now?"

"Nope, but it was time to stop drinking so I could fight."

"Laby... Who _is_ this guy?" Andros finally asked.

"Oh, right, sorry," Laby said. "Trerry's one of the Rebels. He hates Zell about as much as _I_ do, and he's never been one of the bad guys. You can trust him, I promise. He's best classified as a telepath, but his mind is a _lot_ more complicated than that."

"Warrior, search and rescue, or what?" Zhane asked since Andros was still trying to process all of that.

"A little of both," Trerry replied cheerfully. "Don't worry. I'll go where I'm needed. _Speaking_ of that... If Zell's on Earth, then that's where I'm heading next."

"I'm sure Vitti will be fine with that," Laby said. "For now, let's kick these bitches off the planet."

"Sounds great," a new voice said. Three people had arrived. "We're ready to fight, Stone."

"Good. Do what you will to the minions, but try not to hurt Mistress Cheetah. She's a Power Ranger trapped under Zell's control," Stone replied. "Everyone, that's Vagris. With him are Rhanna and Plurri."

An extremely cheerful-looking man waved at them. "I'm at your service. If anyone is wounded, send me to them," he said.

A much less-perky woman nodded at them. "Just tell me whose ass I should kick," she said. She paused when she spotted Laby. She proceeded to punch his shoulder extremely hard.

"Ouch!" Laby objected. "Hello to you, _too_ , Rhan."

"Where _were_ you? We were _worried_ about you, you little shit!" Rhanna replied. Then, she pulled Laby into a tight hug. "I missed you."

"Sorry," Laby replied as he hugged her back. "I was off having a nervous breakdown. Call it a thirty year bender... But I'm back now."

 _Rebels are strange,_ Andros decided.

"Alright... Let's go," he said aloud. Everyone followed his lead. The fighters took out the attacking minions. Gia cheered enthusiastically every time she destroyed one.

"I _like_ this one," Rhanna said with a laugh.

"Guys... There are survivors hiding in this building," Aylane said. "As well as some dead. They need healers."

"Search and rescue, head inside. I'll come along and assess if you need more help," Andros said. "Everyone else, keep going. We need to get to the Counsel Building to help Anise." He followed the rescue team into the building.

At the sight of a dozen or so dead members of the Eltarian Guard, Nessa visibly tensed. _She wasn't ready for this,_ Andros realized.

"Marroz..." Nessa said softly as she looked at one of them. "He was part of the Guard since before I can remember... He was a friend of my father's... A good man."

"Nessa..." Troy said softly, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"And that's Trina... His wife..." She pointed to another Guard. Looking at the body next to them, she covered her mouth in obvious horror. That worried Andros because Nessa never showed emotion like that. "DJ..." She whispered, staring into his still-open eyes which were staring back at her blankly. After a moment, she gently closed his eyes and forced herself to look away.

"DJ?" Troy repeated, probably thinking that was an odd name for an Eltarian just like Andros was.

"D'Jarren... Their son... He was twenty-one. He joined the Guard shortly before the attack on the Counsel Building..." Nessa replied, her voice still nearly a whisper.

"Duck!" Jessa shouted, knocking Andros to the floor. A shot rang out seconds later.

"That would have hit me..." Andros realized. He reached for his weapon.

"Don't!" Aylane said quickly. "She's just a frightened child."

Sure enough, Andros saw a young girl peaking out from behind a wall. Her face was blank, possibly from shock, but she held the gun steadily on them.

"Leighzee?" Nessa asked. She walked slowly toward the girl.

"Nessa, don't," Troy said.

Nessa didn't get too close. "Leighzee, it's Nessa, sweetie. We're not going to hurt you. We came to stop the bad people," she said soothingly, as though she were approaching a wounded animal in the woods.

"Nessa, who is this girl?" Andros asked.

"Her name is Leighzee Vreg. She's barely thirteen. The first two Guards I pointed out were her parents. DJ..." She sighed. "DJ was her older brother."

"He was important to you," Troy guessed.

Nessa looked into his eyes and said, "He was my first boyfriend, years ago... It was an act of teenage rebellion on my part, because he was older than me and my father didn't approve... We broke up because I never really stayed in relationships for long... You're actually the longest one, so _congrats_ , Champ... Anyway, DJ and I were still good friends. He grew up into such a great guy. This... It just shouldn't have happened. Not to them. They were good people."

"Leighzee," Andros said gently. "Can you lower that gun, sweetheart? You don't need it now. You're safe."

Leighzee gripped the gun tighter, aiming it at Andros. She fired off another shot. This time, it was Cassie who knocked Andros to safety.

"Thanks, Cassie," he said softly.

"No problem," Cassie replied casually. "You may want to work on those reflexes a bit, Team Leader," she teased him.

"I'm not used to dodging bullets from a kid," Andros pointed out.

"Okay, _enough_ of this," Aylane mumbled. She stared at Leighzee. After a moment, Leighzee lowered the gun and placed it on the ground at her feet. She proceeded to kick it toward Lucas, who picked it up. "She's in shock. I can try to bring her out of it, but she's not going to be okay."

"Did you just make her do that?" Andros asked in surprise.

"Stone told you I'm a telepath. Why are you so surprised?" Aylane asked.

"Bring her back into awareness," Nessa said softly. "We can't leave her here, and she won't be safe if she's not aware. I'll try to calm her down."

"I can help," Troy offered.

"Save your strength, Troy," Nessa replied. "You'll need it to heal the others. She doesn't look injured. Her pain is emotional, and while a Shaman can help with that, so can a friend."

Aylane shrugged and after a minute, Leighzee snapped out of her trance-like state. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she started whimpering for her parents. Nessa immediately pulled the girl into her arms. "It's over now, Leighzee," she said soothingly, shielding the girl from the bodies of her family members.

"Nessa?" The girl asked in surprise.

"Yes. I came back to Eltar to help. I'm so sorry for what you're dealing with, Leighzee. I know this pain... Far better than I like to admit."

"They're gone... My parents... My brother... The woman and her army... They killed them..."

"I know, sweetie. And I know how hard that is to face... But you have to be brave now, Leighzee. It isn't safe out there. We need to send you and the other survivors where it is safe."

"Where will we go?" Leighzee asked softly.

"Earth," Andros said. "We're going to send you to Zordon. He'll make sure everyone is protected until it's safe to return here."

"There are others... In the room," Leighzee said, pointing toward a dark room.

Andros led the others toward it. About fifteen or so people were there. Some were very seriously wounded, but they were all alive. "They need healers," he called.

Tedius quickly set to work on healing the nearest injured person. Plurri ran forward, apparently taking that as his cue. "Oh, my..." He said softly as he looked at their injuries.

"You! It is the traitor from the Counsel! Someone, arrest him!" One of the survivors shouted.

Aylane rolled her eyes. "And here we go again... Alright, everyone, _relax,"_ she said firmly. All of the survivors suddenly seemed to fall into a dream-like state.

"Traitor?" Andros asked.

"He didn't do it," Leela said quickly. "The _true_ traitor among the Elite Counsel was Zutan. He framed Plurri for his crimes, which included covering up all of the horrific things Zell did. Stone tried to fight to clear Plurri's name, but Zutan had planted very compelling evidence against him. After many years of appeals, Plurri was sentenced to death. The Rebellion rescued him."

"Technically, _Vagris_ rescued him," Jessa clarified. "Rhanna, Stone, and the others showed up shortly after Vagris freed him from the prison."

"Regardless, Plurri is innocent. He'd never hurt a fly. He's the sweetest creature in the universe," Leela insisted.

As Andros watched Plurri healing others, he noticed the man literally radiated light. "There's no way he's evil," he decided aloud.

"Should we open a portal and send the survivors to Earth?" Jessa asked.

"Wait," Stone said as he appeared in the room. "I came back to see if you needed assistance," he explained.

"There's no danger here... Just a bunch of terrified, traumatized survivors," Andros replied.

"Send Marinessa with them."

"Nessa came here to help. She won't want to leave," Andros said.

"Andros... Respectfully, I ask that you listen to me," Stone said calmly. "Marinessa is quite powerful. She's impressive, and she's a true warrior. She reminds me very much of my fallen friend Eltara... However, she is still young. Whether she shows it or not, she is heavily traumatized by the events of the last attack on Eltar. She is a warrior, to be certain, but she is also a teenage girl. Even one as fierce as she has proven to be can only handle so much, and I see the state she is in now. She comforts the child, and it gives her a bit of peace, but her own grief is clear to me. Have her escort the survivors back to Earth. She can protect them in an emergency, and this will get her away from all of the carnage sooner. Spare her that pain before she does something foolish in her grief."

Andros looked back at Nessa. She still held Leighzee, but she was staring at DJ. It was clear she was fighting back tears, and while he was positive she'd win that fight until she was alone, he knew Stone was right. The girl shouldn't be there. He headed toward her. "Nessa... I need you to bring the survivors back to Earth. They need someone to protect them in case anyone tries to follow you," he said gently.

To his great shock, Nessa didn't even attempt to argue with him. "I shouldn't have come," she admitted softly after releasing Leighzee into Cassie's comforting arms and taking a couple of steps away from them. "I know I am needed here... And I do want to help... I thought I was ready, and that it was my duty, as the daughter of a former Senator, to offer my aid to those who needed it... However..."

"It's hard for you to see all of this," Andros said sympathetically. "I understand, Nessa. My own planet fell into a similar state. I've watched people I love die, and been powerless to stop it." He tried not to dwell on the images flashing through his mind.

"How do you face it at times like these? I mean, I was fine when the attack was happening... Because _someone_ had to be, and Mena was still there, and she was in danger... There were innocent people to fight for, and that kept everything else at bay... But right now, it's... It's harder. I don't understand it."

"It's harder because you thought it was over. You survived something impossible, and now, you're facing something similar... That boy, DJ... You clearly loved him."

"Aside from Mena, he was my dearest friend on Eltar. He was too young... It's not _fair,_ Andros."

Andros felt an incredible amount of sympathy for Nessa in that moment. "You're a lot like me, Nessa," he said. "When things get hard, you fight back, and you don't quit until it's safe to break down, when you're all alone... You're tough. You're a true Red Ranger. But sometimes, it does get to be too much. When I thought Zhane was going to die, I snapped so badly, I shut the whole world out. Sometimes, even in battles, I freeze up because of flashbacks. No one notices anymore, mostly because they're distracted by Karone's hair changing colors as _she_ freaks out."

Nessa cracked a slight smile at that. "Well, it _is_ an interesting party trick," she joked lightly.

"My point is that my PTSD doesn't come with magical changes to my appearance, but it's still there. I hide it the best I can, but it pops up at the worst times... And sometimes, I screw up, because I'm too stubborn to realize I need to get myself out of a situation. You actually realize now that you're in over your head, and you admitted it. That's really good."

"I've got a team to lead. Everything's going crazy with us right now. I can't afford to go getting myself killed when they need me the most just because I'm too stubborn to admit I'm not okay." Nessa sighed. "I'll protect them with all that I possess. Get me every survivor you can and I'll guide them back to Earth."

"There are about fifteen in that room, and I'm going to check in with the others and see if they found anyone else. We'll send you in a couple of minutes."

Nessa nodded. "Okay. I'll let Troy know I'm heading back with them. Thanks for not judging me."

"I'll never judge you, Nessa. And you didn't do anything wrong. Honestly, we should have realized it was a bad idea to bring you into the middle of all of this. You'll do much better leading the survivors to safety than you would do remaining here." He offered her a quick smile before returning to check on the survivors.

Within minutes, Zhane arrived with twenty more survivors. Some would need to be healed, but none looked like they were suffering from fatal wounds. "Are you ready, Nessa?" Andros asked.

"Totally," Nessa replied. "Go on and open the portal."

"This way," Leela said. She led them toward the exit. Then, she activated the portal.

"Impressive," Andros said as he watched it spring to life.

"We have portals scattered all throughout Eltar," Jessa explained. "The Rebellion set them up ages ago so we'd be able to come and go as needed. They're mostly unsanctioned ones that only we know about."

"Not true," Nessa said with a laugh. "Mena knows where a ton of them are. Finding things is sort of a hobby of hers, and she was very good at finding the portals she shouldn't know about. It came in handy during the last attack... She knew how to get everyone out quickly."

"Be safe," Troy said softly. He kissed Nessa quickly.

"You, too," Nessa replied seriously. "I'd better see that sexy ass of yours back on Earth soon."

Troy blushed, which made Nessa smile. Then, she led the survivors through the portal and vanished as it sealed shut.

"They'll be fine," Aylane said. "That's one of the safest portals we've got."

Andros nodded. "Come on. We've got to keep going," he said.

As they moved deeper, they began encountering more of Lily's minions. Some were easy to handle. Others were far more dangerous. Andros found himself cornered with V and Zhane. "We're toast," Zhane said. "There's too many of them."

"Don't be so quick to surrender," V scolded him. "We can still get out of this." She pulled out a couple of impressive new weapons and tossed one to each of them.

Andros fired his weapons at a repulsive monster that looked like a giant preying mantis. It exploded, making a very big mess as its guts sprayed everywhere.

"Yuck! Party foul!" Zhane objected. He shot a similar creatures, but ducked out of the way of the mess it made.

"Get down!" V shouted. Andros and Zhane both ducked out of the way as she shot an enormous toad. It croaked before turning to dust.

It seemed like they had won. V moved away from Andros and Zhane, heading toward the others. Andros was about to do the same. "Andros!" Karone suddenly screamed in horror. He looked up and saw a fireball headed straight toward him and Zhane, but there was no time for either of them to get out of the way.

He braced himself for the fireball to hit him. Instead, it hit a blur that dove in front of them. "B'Danna!" Kizzie cried in alarm. She ran toward the fallen Eltarian. "Luv... Just hold on..." She sent an attack toward the monster who'd sent the fireball. It screamed as it began to twitch violently. Moments later, it burst into flames and perished.

B'Danna lay motionless on the ground. There was blood everywhere, and she was severely burned. "Bee Dee..." Laby said softly. "Oh, shit... B'Danna of Eltar, don't you _dare_ do this to me," he whispered as he looked at how severely she'd been injured.

"She's _not_ dying today," Tedius said firmly. He set to work trying to heal what looked to be a fatal wound.

"Kizzie... Help him," Captain Smith said softly.

"Of course, Sir," Kizzie said, shifting her focus from attacking nearby threats to healing her wounded friend.

Andros was still in shock. He stared at B'Danna, shaking his head. "She... She saved us," he said.

"She _totally_ did," Zhane agreed.

"But why _would_ she? She doesn't even really _know_ us... She's... She's an Eltarian Rebel..." He couldn't process it.

"B'Danna respects nothing as much as the Chain of Command," Captain Smith said sadly. "I told her that you were in charge here. If nothing else, that makes you a superior officer, and she will always do whatever must be done to protect those in charge."

"Is she...? I mean... Will she survive?" Andros finally managed to ask.

"Let me see if I can help," Plurri offered as he joined them.

"She doesn't easily trust men," Tedius said.

"At least she'll be _alive_ to distrust me if I heal her. Please... Let me do what I can."

"Go on," Captain Smith said. "Please... She is quite dear to me."

Plurri joined Tedius and Kizzie in their efforts. Soon, B'Danna's flesh began to slowly heal. The burns were severe, but Plurri's power seemed to be doing the trick.

Laby looked like he was going to have a complete meltdown. "Don't d-die, Bee Dee," he said softly. "Please... P-please don't die..."

"Laby... Just breathe," Cassie said gently. She went as far as to rub his back soothingly, which Laby didn't seem to object to as he continued watching B'Danna with tears in his eyes. Cassie's actions surprised Andros, but then he remembered that Cassie had told him Laby tried to help all of them when they were in the past. Even though he'd trapped them and was technically fighting against them, in the end, he'd done everything he could to make things right. It was clear how bad Cassie felt for him now, seeing the pain in his eyes.

"Is he going to be okay to stay here and help us?" Lucas asked.

"Laby is stronger than you think," Stone replied. "Once B'Danna is recovered enough that he knows she's safe, he'll be able to continue fighting."

"I was wrong about you all," Andros said softly.

"What do you mean by that?" Captain Smith asked.

"Part of me couldn't accept that wanted criminals who were part of such a seemingly ruthless, violent movement could be good people... That you'd help us, and not betray us in the end," Andros admitted. "But B'Danna just sacrificed her safety to protect me and my best friend. She saved our lives with no ulterior motive... And you all clearly care for her deeply... Evil doesn't love, but it's obvious _you_ do."

"I'm pleased you've come to accept us, Andros, but I understand why it was difficult for you," the Captain replied patiently.

B'Danna groaned as she started to regain awareness. "Bee Dee..." Laby whispered.

"She's going to be alright, Luv," Kizzie reassured him. "She's already regaining her strength. Give her a few more minutes and she'll be able to be moved."

"B'Danna..." Andros said softly. He looked into her eyes as she slowly sat up with help from Tedius.

"Are you alright?" B'Danna asked as she found her voice.

"We're fine, thanks to you..." Andros said. "You're incredibly brave. I can't begin to figure out how to thank you."

"It was the right thing to do," B'Danna said, shrugging his words off. She bit back a wince as the action visibly hurt. "I'm just pleased you're safe."

V looked at her with respect in her eyes. "You are _quite_ the warrior, B'Danna of Eltar," she said with a kind smile. "Thank you for saving these two fools I love so much."

B'Danna nodded respectfully. "Now, Luv, you need to rest," Kizzie said.

"I suppose insisting I stay and fight would be futile?" B'Danna asked.

"Quite."

"Noted. I'm sorry I couldn't do more, Captain Smith."

"You have done more than you know, B'Danna. Without your intervention, the Red and Silver Space Rangers might have been lost to us forever, and that would have been a tragedy indeed. I am proud of your actions today. Go rest now. We shall need you strong for the next battle," Captain Smith replied.

Laby flung his arms around B'Danna and Andros realized just how deeply traumatized he actually was. "Thank you," he whispered.

"For what, exactly?" B'Danna asked.

"For not dying..." For just a moment, Andros noticed Laby was sobbing softly against B'Danna's shoulder, but he pulled himself together quickly.

"I'm sorry, Laby," B'Danna said gently, seemingly to understand how badly she'd frightened him. "I didn't mean to freak you out... I just acted on instinct. I promise I'm okay now."

" _Stay_ that way. That's an _order_ from a superior officer," he said firmly.

B'Danna rolled her eyes. "Yes, Sir," she said lightly.

"I'll bring her back to Earth," Cassie offered. "After all, she used to be my student. I guess I still feel responsible for her. Bring me back afterward if you need my help."

"Take care of her," Andros said softly. He gave Cassie a quick hug. "We'll send Lucas if we need you."

Kizzie tapped a seemingly random spot in the air. A portal sprang to life. "Jeez, those things are _everywhere,_ " Zhane said with a laugh.

Cassie helped the still-shaky B'Danna walk toward the portal. They vanished seconds later. Andros silently vowed to do whatever he could to protect the Rebels going forward.

Suddenly, a message came through to Stone. He looked at it before frowning. "Eloise... How unexpected," he mumbled.

"What was that?" Andros asked.

"A certain acquaintance of mine who enjoys traveling through time recently resurfaced, apparently in Angel Grove... And she just informed me that the woman causing all of this trouble is a young succubus who is only just coming into her power."

"Alright... What does that mean for us?"

"Eloise suggested I call in an old friend of mine..." Stone was already sending a message. "He's on Earth, in Barcelona."

"You don't mean...?" Laby asked. He was calmer now that B'Danna was safe, just as Stone had predicted.

"I _do."_

Laby laughed. "This should be fun," he said.

Andros was pretty lost, but considering B'Danna had just convinced him to trust the Rebels, he decided not to argue. He would force himself to sit back and see where this was heading.

 _ **ANISE**_

There was panic in the Counsel Building. Anise was evacuating people one corridor at a time, but some refused to leave. "We are loyal to you, Prime Minister," one of the Senators said.

"We will fight to the end to protect Eltar," Sabree, the current Mayor of Eltar, added. He'd taken over after Mayor Freyst was murdered by the Rebellion. Sabree was a good man who shared Anise's view on politics and wanted to make Eltar a better, more accepting place.

"I appreciate the loyalty," Anise said, "but you all need to go somewhere safe. Get to Earth. Zordon will protect you."

"We cannot leave," Sabree insisted.

"Guys... Some of you are survivors of the last attack on Eltar. I know you're traumatized. I can't leave you here, in the middle of this, knowing how hard it is for you. Please... Go. I can do this on my own. The person attacking us is under my father's spell. She needs help, and I'm hoping I can get through to her, but I won't risk your lives. Please go."

The Mayor sighed. "I respect your decision, Anise... However, if you need anything, please call me back here. I am prepared to do whatever I must."

"Thank you, Sabree," she replied. She sent Sabree and the Senator through the last portal that hadn't been used. With no one else left in the building, Anise began preparing for war.

She pulled out her best weapons. Anise had a rather large collection of swords, but she also had crossbows, daggers, guns, and every other weapon one could dream of. Over the millennia, she'd learned to work with all of them and was skilled in battle. She'd fought with countless Kings, politicians, and warriors to help the justified parties win. She was no stranger to a good fight, but that didn't mean she wanted to engage in this one.

"I can't kill her," she said aloud. "It's not her fault my father turned her into a monster. I have to save her... She's important to Zordon, and she's innocent in all of this."

As the door to the Counsel Building blew open, Anise knew she was out of time. She stood her ground, waiting for Lily to come to her.

The woman who walked into her office was surrounded by minions. Anise studied them, trying to figure out where they all came from. Some were surely from Onyx, but others didn't look like monsters. They could pass for ordinary people. Clearly, Lily had been busy.

"Hello, Anise," Lily said with venom in her voice. "Or should I say, Prime Minister?"

"Anise is fine," Anise replied casually. "How have you been, Lily?"

"I am Mistress Cheetah," Lily corrected her. "And I have come to take over this planet. Pledge your allegiance to me, or perish. Either one is fine by me."

Anise rolled her eyes. "Really? _That's_ the best you've got?" She asked. She noticed one of the minions moving closer to her and swiftly took his head off with her sword, not even looking at him.

A couple of the minions squeaked in fear. "Calm yourselves," Lily said harshly.

"Look... I don't want to hurt you," Anise told her.

"I doubt that. Your _father_ certainly wanted to."

"My father and I don't get along, remember? I hate him just as much as _you_ do. Probably _more,_ actually."

Lily seemed to consider this for a moment. "Then join me, Anise," she said grandly. "Together, we can destroy him, once and for all."

"I don't think that's going to work out," Anise replied. "Why are you trying to take over Eltar?"

"Zell once ruled Eltar," Lily explained. "He lost it, and he can never have it back... It will be fun to see how furious he becomes when he realizes that _I_ possess what he cannot. Eltar will be _mine_ to rule!"

Anise was mildly impressed by Lily's logic and determination. "Okay, I get that," she said. "The thing is, I can't let you take over Eltar, Lily. There are a lot of innocent people here who I have sworn to protect."

"Stop calling me that. Lily is _dead._ Your father took _everything_ from her," Lily continued. "He killed her friends... He stole her light... And he is the reason that Lily lost the man she loved." She paused thoughtfully. "But that's alright. _I_ am Mistress Cheetah, and _I_ am going to take everything from _him!"_ She laughed. "I can't exactly take away the person he loves, because he doesn't love _anyone_... But the closest thing to that would be to kill his precious _Daphne._ Imagine how that would break him!" She continued laughing.

Anise was not finding Lily's train of thought amusing. "Listen, Bitch... I'll put up with a lot from you because my father's magic made you bat-shit crazy," she said, "but don't you _dare_ threaten my mother."

"Why do you care? Daphne's dead thanks to your dear old dad. I'd be going after her current incarnation, and why should she matter to you? You don't even know her. She's a Power Ranger now, right? One of the newer ones... She wasn't at the last battle, but she's one of Vida's baby Rangers from what I've heard. I bet I could kill her _easily._ "

Anise felt her rage boiling toward the surface. She wanted to destroy Lily and be over with it, but she knew Lily was baiting her. She was _trying_ to make her attack. For whatever reason, Lily _wanted_ this fight to happen, and Anise couldn't give in to it.

Lily raised a sword in the air. Sighing, Anise raised her own. She knew she had no choice but to fight the girl, and she'd have to be careful not to kill her. They began to battle and Anise realized Lily was quite skilled. She also wasn't holding back.

Anise had been fighting with a sword a lot longer than Lily had. She quickly knocked Lily off of her feet. The minions surrounded her. Anise began taking them out one by one. She stabbed some, decapitated others, and used magic to blow a few of them up without so much as breaking a sweat. Soon enough, all of the minions Lily had brought into the building were dead. That left only the ones who were still running around Eltar causing trouble. Anise would deal with them later. Right now, she needed to handle Lily.

Rage filled Lily's face. "Now I have to replace them," she growled. "It's so _hard_ to find good help these days." She lunged to Anise with her sword in front of her. Anise managed to dodge the attack, but she knew Lily wouldn't stop any time soon.

Using an enormous amount of energy, Anise took a risk. She summoned two people from Earth to the Counsel Building and prayed she'd made the right decision.

"Lily?" Casey asked softly.

Lily tensed at the sound of his voice. She tried to fall back into attack mode, but then RJ said, "Lily, sweetheart, what are you _wearing?"_

Lily turned around to face them. "Lily is _dead,"_ she said harshly. _"I_ am Mistress Cheetah."

RJ shook his head. "Your evil villain name is the name of your animal spirit with _Mistress_ in front of it," he pointed out. "You're still very _much_ Lily."

"Lily... _Talk_ to us. Please," Casey said gently.

Lily visibly softened for a split second. "Casey..." She said. Then, she turned cold again. "You both survived. How unexpected. Fran and I weren't sure. Get off this planet or you won't live much longer."

"Lily, what are you trying to _do_ here?" RJ asked.

"That's simple. I'm taking over Eltar. Those who survive will join my army of minions. We're going to destroy Zell."

"A worthy goal," RJ said practically. "Unfortunately, your method isn't the best. Come _home,_ Lily. We'll help you."

Lily moved so quickly, no one saw it coming. She slapped RJ across his jaw, knocking him back several feet with the force of the blow. " _Stop._ Calling. Me. _Lily,"_ she said firmly.

"That's your _name,_ Honey," RJ pointed out as he rubbed his jaw.

"Lily is _dead!_ She's _gone!_ Get over it."

" _Lily's_ standing in front of me."

She hit him again, this time making his head snap backward. "RJ, back off," Anise advised.

"I can't do that. See, I'm this girl's mentor, and when my students lose their damn minds, it's _my_ job to bring them back from the brink of insanity." He looked into Lily's eyes and said, "I know you have better control of your emotions than most people, Lily. Your training makes you very good at resisting Zell's influence. Now, _use_ that... Embrace your cheetah." He motioned toward her ensemble. "I mean, your _wardrobe_ clearly has, but now it's time for _you_ to connect back to your animal spirit."

Lily pulled her sword out and pressed it against RJ's throat. "Walk away, RJ... Before I spill your blood all over Anise's carpet," she said harshly.

"Lily, stop!" Casey cried in horror. "Think about what you're doing! What would Theo say?"

Lily suddenly turned all of her rage toward him. "Don't! Say! That! _Name!"_ She snapped.

Casey realized he'd hit the right nerve. "I know it hurts, Lily. It's _supposed_ to hurt."

"It doesn't _hurt!_ It makes me _angry!"_

"You're allowed to be angry about what happened. It wasn't fair. You guys were on your honeymoon, and you left to join the fight because that was your duty as Power Rangers... And then, you lost him."

"Shut up! Shut _up_ , you _stupid_ asshole!" Lily shrieked. She turned her sword toward Casey, and for a terrifying moment, Anise was positive she was going to kill him. She got ready to interfere, but hesitated when Casey began to speak again.

"He loved you, Lily... He did what he did to save your life, and to save a lot of other people, too," Casey said gently. "Theo loved you with all he had. He was a hero... And he would want us to save you from this."

Lily pulled her sword back. "Get out of here," she said tonelessly.

"Lily-"

"I said _go_! Just leave."

"I'm not leaving you, Lily... Neither of us will do that."

"He's right," RJ said. "You're stuck with us."

"Then _I'll_ leave!" Lily declared. She moved toward the exit. She nearly made it out of the office when she encountered a very firm set of abs in the doorway. Lily's eyes fell on them and seemed to get stuck there.

"Hello, Young Succubus," the owner of the abs said. "Pardon my intrusion, but you need to stay right here."

Lily couldn't seem to look away from his body. She didn't try to leave the room. The man entered and Anise realized how incredibly handsome he was. She also realized something else. "You're an incubus," she said. "A _powerful_ one."

"Greetings, Prime Minister," the incubus said. "My name is Bartello. I'm here to help. This is my brother, Zee." He motioned toward the man who followed him into the office.

"Nice to meet you," Zee said. "I heard you're Zordon's twin we all thought was dead. I'm glad that wasn't the case." He smiled at her with a child-like glee that instantly put Anise at ease.

"You guys got here just in time. She was about to make a break for it," Anise said.

"Stone called us in. Well, really, he called _me_ in, but where I go, Zee usually follows," Bartello said. "Stone was informed that Mistress Cheetah, or _Lily,_ was a very newly awakened succubus and would most likely be unable to fight my energy."

Lily was still staring at his abs. She reached toward them to touch them. Zee started laughing. "Wow, she's hooked," he joked. "Like a junkie who's just discovered their new favorite way to get high."

"Can you break my father's spell on her by any chance?" Anise asked.

"Unfortunately, I can't break that sort of spell," Bartello replied. "However, I can keep her calm and distracted so that you can get her to people who can."

"If we can just call upon her cheetah spirit, she may be able to free _herself_ ," RJ said. "She needs to be in a sacred place where she can focus."

"If we try to move her, the minions will stop us, won't they?" Casey asked.

"Most of them are dead from what I saw," Bartello said. "The ones who aren't fled once they realized they were going to lose this battle. Minions like those are not the most loyal. Their fear always wins in the end."

"Hey, you... Mr. Six Pack... Can you keep her focused on those ridiculously toned abs of yours long enough for us to get her back to Earth?" RJ asked.

"I can ensure she's distracted until you reach Earth," Bartello replied. "Once she's there, you'll need to trap her so she can't escape. It will take work to bring her back from this, but the first step is definitely bringing her back to Earth."

"Great. So we're in agreement. Let's do this."

Bartello nodded. "Forgive me," he said softly. Then, he pulled Lily into a passionate, deep kiss. Lily didn't resist him. Anise knew it was wrong to let Bartello do that to her when Lily would not have kissed him were he not an incubus, but she could tell he didn't want to hurt her. It was simply the only way to keep her from trying to flee.

Soon enough, Lily was left in a trance-like state. "She'll be like this for a bit," Bartello said. "A new succubus needs time to adjust to her powers. The energy I just poured into her is too much for her to process quickly. Bring her wherever you need to go, but hurry."

"We should bring her to Sage," Casey suggested. "Between the two of us and her, we should be able to find a way to get through to Lily and restore her light."

RJ nodded. "That sounds like a plan," he said. "Anise... Do you need anything else?"

"No. Go on and bring Lily home. Take care of her... And let the survivors know they can come back when they're ready. I don't feel any threat here now," Anise replied.

RJ scooped Lily up in his arms. "Come on, Sweetheart," he said. "It's time to go home, because you are _seriously_ grounded."

As RJ and Casey disappeared with Lily, Anise sighed. "Thanks for the help, guys," she said to Bartello and Zee. "I take it you're part of the Rebellion?"

"We are," Bartello admitted.

"Great. Well, if you were ever charged with anything, you're officially pardoned... You did good work today."

"There are no official charges against us, but thank you for the gesture. Come, Brother. We must return to Earth now."

"Alright," Zee agreed. In an instant, the brothers vanished.

Anise took a deep breath. "Alright... Time to clean up the mess _Mistress Cheetah's_ army left behind," she mumbled. It was going to be a very long night. Anise hoped she wouldn't find too many dead Eltarians, but she knew there was a good chance that wouldn't be the case. She contacted Zordon.

"Are you alright?" He asked immediately.

"I'm fine," Anise said. "RJ and Casey have Lily. She's sort of in a daze right now, but that won't last forever. They're bringing her to Sage."

"Thank goodness she's alive... I was worried someone would kill her for what she's done."

 _"I_ almost did when she threatened our mother."

 _"What?"_ Zordon asked sharply.

"She's trying to destroy our father's life because he destroyed hers... And she realized going after Andie would do that."

"I must warn her-"

"She's not a threat right now, Zordon... And I'm sure she won't get away from Sage. Mom should be safe."

"She wasn't... Our father put her through hell, Anise... And she's trying to be brave, but I know she's traumatized."

"Mom's strong, Zordon... Especially this aspect of her. Andie is no pushover."

Zordon took a deep breath. "How much damage did Lily do on Eltar?" He asked.

"It's pretty bad... She and her minions killed a lot of people... Most were members of the Guard, or just people who dared to stand against her. Anyone who ran or surrendered, she left alive. I received word that she stumbled across a school and instead of killing the kids, she protected the property and trapped them inside. Lily's still in there... Casey was getting through to her. I believe she can be saved. As for Eltar... I'll do what I can to help the people recover. I wish no one had died, but they did... I have to accept that. My job now is to make sure the people of Eltar survive this and life goes on as best it can."

"If you need anything, please ask. I hate that we're apart from one another, but the least I can do is offer that much."

"I'm good for now, but I'll call you if I need anything. I love you, Zordon."

"I love you, too."

Anise disconnected the call. She took a minute to compose herself before heading out of the building to face the damage Lily and her army had done.


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**  
 _ **JEIRMI**_  
He awoke with the worst headache he'd ever had. For a split second, he couldn't remember what had happened. Then, it all came flooding back.

"Eloise!" He gasped. "Ellie... Ellie? Are you here?" He tried to get off the bed.

"Whoa! Easy there, Friend," a boy said as he gently stopped him from getting off the bed.

"Eloise... Is she here?" Jeirmi asked desperately. The last time he'd seen the woman he loved, Zell had slashed her throat and tossed her into the place outside of the time line.

"I'm afraid not... You were badly hurt, Jeirmi. Our youngest Rebel, Tiffani, found you and called for help."

"How do you know me?"

"Laby identified you. I'm Draze, a friend of his."

"Laby's here?" Relief flooded through Jeirmi. At least he knew _someone_ in this strange place.

"Yes. I'll get him for you. Just stay on the bed. You're healed, but you need time to adjust." Draze left to find Laby.

A couple of minutes later, Laby entered the room. He had a pretty young blonde girl with him who smiled at Jeirmi reassuringly. She placed tea in front of him before handing Laby a strange can of some sort of beverage labeled _coca-cola._

"Thanks, Tiff," Laby said, which told Jeirmi this must be the girl Draze said had found him.

"Should I leave you guys alone?" Tiffani asked.

"That might be better. Thanks, Beautiful." Laby gave her a quick kiss on her cheek, causing the girl to practically glow with happiness. She left the room smiling.

"It's _damn_ good to see you, Jeir," Laby said.

"Laby... What year is it? And where on all of Eltar am I?" Jeirmi asked.

"That's the thing, Jeirmi... You're _not_ on Eltar. This is Earth."

"Earth..." Jeirmi repeated. "How long have I been gone?"

"A _long_ time... It's 1989, Jeirmi. Several millennia have passed." He motioned toward the cup of tea. "Drink some tea. You were dehydrated when we brought you here. Mama Ama hooked you up to saline to help, since magic can't really heal dehydration."

"Who's Mama Ama?"

"Amareese, this Chapter's Sorceress. She takes care of all of us, so I call her Mama Ama. She's great."

"Chapter? Laby, what _is_ this place?"

"Welcome to the Rebellion of Eltar," Laby said grandly. "We fight corruption in the government. We started with Eltar, but we've branched out."

"You joined the Rebellion?"

"You _know_ about the Rebellion? We're after your time."

"I saw them every once in a while as I journeyed through the time line. They're dangerous criminals, aren't they?"

"Some of us... But there are a lot of good people in the Rebellion, Jeir. Your sister and best friend included."

"Wynter and Ace?" Jeirmi asked in shock.

"They're on Eltar, but yeah, they're part of the Rebellion."

"You're not really one for starting revolutions, Laby... How did you get involved in all of this?"

"My parents were Founding Members... I hung around just because I needed to be close to them... I still wasn't handling losing the siblings." He didn't name them, but he didn't have to. Jeirmi knew which siblings he meant. "I might never have gotten overly involved at all, but then our government ordered the slaughter of a hundred and fifty peaceful protesters... My parents included." Laby stared at his feet. "I was the only one who walked away."

"My God, Laby... I'm _so_ sorry," Jeirmi said in horror.

"Yeah. Me, too." Laby shrugged. "That's what happens when you're immortal. I don't even know how many bullets were in me by the time I blacked out... Felina saved me." He downed his drink like it was liquor, but Jeirmi knew Laby didn't like to drink alcohol. This strange beverage still seemed to comfort him. "Anyway, this isn't about _me._ What happened to you, Jeirmi?"

"It was the Great Wizard... He's corrupt, Laby."

"We know," Laby reassured him. "He's also been dead for millennia. Zordon destroyed him."

"Zordon... Incredible." Jeirmi shook his head. He knew Zell would be back, but he also knew he could only tell Laby so much without destroying the time line. "He realized we caught him in the act of 'disposing' of a prophet. He knew what Eloise and I could do... So he slit her throat and tossed her outside of the time line. He attacked me... It's blurry, but I think I hit my head... And then he tossed me into the other end of the void." He took a deep breath. "I _have_ to find her, Laby. She's dying."

"How can I help?"

"I need to track her. I... I _can't_ lose her, Laby."

"I get it."

"The blonde? Tiffani?" Jeirmi guessed.

Laby's eyes went wide with shock. "Tiff means the world to me, but she's only fifteen, and she's my Chapter Head's daughter. I helped _raise_ that girl. I would _never_ cross that line."

" _You're_ fifteen, too," Jeirmi reminded him.

"Well, yeah, but... I mean... I'm immortal. It's different."

Jeirmi could tell just by how Laby had looked at Tiffani that he was lying to himself. He might never have looked at her like that before, but his feelings were changing.

"Well, if not her, then who?" Jeirmi asked.

"You _know_ who, Jeir," Laby said sadly.

"Ah. Sera... Of course. Forgive me," Jeirmi replied. Their love had been deeper than romance. They'd been best friends connected on a spiritual level. He should have realized that was who Laby was referencing.

"Anyway... I'll help you find Ellie, Jeir. Just tell me what you need."

"Food... I'm starving, and if I try to jump through time like this, I'll collapse."

"Your wish is my command! Follow me." Laby led Jeirmi to a large dining room. Tiffani sat at the table flipping through some sort of publication. The pages were filled with pretty people in what Jeirmi assumed were stylish clothes.

Draze was also at the table, sitting beside an intense-looking girl who was playing with a set of throwing knives. She polished one before flipping it through the air and catching it. She tossed a second one and let it impale the table with a loud _thud._

"Ugh! Do you, like, _have_ to do that at the dining room table, B'Danna?" Tiffani asked as she jumped nervously. "It's _totally_ freaking me out!"

"Oh, I _totally_ do," B'Danna replied, mocking her tone as she rolled her eyes. "If you don't like it, go read that trash in your room."

"Why couldn't you be a _normal_ teenage girl?"

"First of all, I'm _not_ a teenager."

"You are by _Eltarian_ standards."

"Second, I have a _brain_ and it's not rotted by hormones. _That's_ why."

"Be _nice,_ Bea," Draze said patiently. "She's not trying to say _you're_ stupid, Tiff," he added.

"No, I'm not," B'Danna replied. "I'm just sick of the _general_ stupidity of the teenagers of this planet. I _hate_ high school." She looked up as she noticed Jeirmi and Laby. "Look who's _finally_ awake..."

"He's hungry. Lunch is on me. What do you guys want?" Laby asked.

"Pizza," the three teenagers universally agreed.

"What is... _pizza?"_ Jeirmi asked.

"Oh, I am _so_ glad you asked, my friend!" Laby said with a laugh. He picked up some sort of device and began speaking into it.

"How are you feeling now, Jeirmi?" Tiffani asked sweetly.

"I'm better, thank you," he replied. "I suppose I owe you a debt for finding me and getting me help."

"Of course you don't. It was the right thing to do," Tiffani said, waving off his words with her sparkling blue fingernails. Looking into her eyes, Jeirmi saw that there was more to her than she let on. Playing a carefree teenager might come naturally to the girl, but he sensed a hidden strength to her. She was not as ditzy as she wanted people to think.

Amareese, her husband Flekt, and their Chapter Head, Jaybert, joined them for lunch. Jaybert eyed Jeirmi suspiciously the entire time. Finally, he said, "Your love is in the future, about thirty years from now."

"Jay... How'd you know that?" Laby asked in confusion.

"Garron called. He had a vision," Jaybert replied. "It is urgent we get Jeirmi out of this time as soon as possible."

No one questioned this, but Jeirmi did. Something in Jaybert's tone told him he was lying. "Thank you, Jaybert," he said. "I appreciate your help."

When they separated, Jeirmi followed Jaybert. What he discovered made him gasp softly. Jaybert was speaking casually to a _vizu..._ And to someone else.

"Kill him before he can escape, Jaybert," Zell was saying. "Jeirmi is a dangerous threat to us all."

"I understand..."

"As for what else I require of you... I am sending someone back in time to try to prevent something important. Her name is Divatox. She will most likely fail... However, in the unlikely event that she succeeds, she will require your assistance."

"If you know she will fail, why send her back?"

"I need her to guard something for me. I'm sending it with her. That is her _true_ mission, although she does not know this. She must hide it securely in the past, where no one will seek it. Her death shall ensure it remains hidden by her own life force."

"You plan to kill her?"

"If she fails, I will not have to. However, should she succeed... Yes. I shall destroy that slither of her soul to ensure these items remain hidden. She must become the gatekeeper, and only her sister will be able to get past that gate."

"What are they?"

"That is not for you to know, my boy."

Jeirmi caught a glimpse of the future as they spoke. A ridiculously dressed woman he assumed was Divatox stood holding a box. It was elaborately carved with ancient Eltarian markings. The box radiated with power.

Back in the present, Jeirmi sensed someone coming toward him. He barely dodged an attack from Jaybert.

"You insane monster," Jeirmi cried. "You're working not only with a _vizu,_ but with Zell? I will tell Laby of your betrayal!"

"You would not dare upset the time line, Jeirmi," Jaybert replied. "The slightest change could be devastating."

"I don't care. Laby has no idea how much danger he's in."

"I won't harm Labyrinth. He shall fight at my side. I have seen this."

"That is unlikely. Jaybert, you're not thinking rationally. Your mind is clouded by that vile creature!"

"My mind is perfectly _fine_ , Jeirmi. Now... To handle _you_..." He tried to decapitate him. Jeirmi attacked him with a defense spell that sent him flying backward. "You have Sorcery? Excellent," Jaybert said. He began to cast a spell.

Jeirmi knew Jaybert's magic was not overly strong yet. Whatever he needed to do to gain more power, he hadn't succeeded yet. Jeirmi could handle him.

They battled back and forth for a short time. The office was sealed magically and Jeirmi knew no one could hear them struggling. He sent his strongest attacks at the traitor, hoping to buy himself a chance to escape. If he could move forward in time slightly, he could warn Laby and his friends what was coming.

As he geared up for another attack, a sword pierced his flesh. Jeirmi let out a cry of agony as he looked down to see the sword impaling his side. He knew the injury was severe.

The office door swung open, causing Jaybert to look up in surprise while Jeirmi stumbled a few feet back.

"Can I have some money to go to the mall? I, like, _totally_ need new shoes," Tiffani said before taking in the scene before her.

"Tiffani... Run... Get Laby," Jeirmi croaked out. Her blood tie to her father must have given her the power to get by the seal on the room.

Tiffani stared at her father. "What's going on?" She asked.

"He attacked me, Daughter. I defended myself," Jaybert lied smoothly.

"Like, oh my gosh... _Really?_ Are you okay?" Tiffani asked in horror. Jeirmi felt devastated, knowing he was not going to make it now. More importantly, if he died, who would save Eloise?

Tiffani frantically checked her father's injuries. She touched his blood with horror in her eyes before whispering, _"Dormizez arlow."_

To Jeirmi's shock, Jaybert collapsed unconscious on the ground. Tiffani rushed to Jeirmi's side. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Jeirmi stared at her in confusion. "You attacked your father..." He whispered.

"It's just a sleeping spell combined with a mild memory charm. He'll forget everything that just happened in this room... Oh my gosh, Jeirmi, that looks _really_ bad... I'll get Amareese-"

"No. There's no time, Tiffani. Your father is a traitor. He's working with the Great Wizard of Eltar and with a _vizu._ You're all in danger."

"What?" She asked, her eyes wide.

Suddenly, time flew by him for an instant, and Jeirmi knew Tiffani's fate. "Oh God... Tiffani, you _have_ to leave. Your father will kill you."

She paled a bit even as she tried to stop the flow of blood coming out of him. Then, she took a deep breath. "Why does he do it?" She asked.

"You die protecting a girl... Veronica."

"Ronnie?" She shook her head. "Jeirmi... Let's say I'm making the choice to leave. What happens if I do? Can you see it?"

Jeirmi focused. With his injuries, flashes of time hit him uncontrollably. "Yes," he admitted.

"If I leave, what happens to everyone else?"

"Laby goes with you... And..." He sighed. "They die, Tiffani. _All_ of them. Your Chapter, Ronnie, someone called the Phantom Ranger, and a group called the Wildcats. Laby _needs_ to be here, but the need to protect you makes him walk away..."

"But if I stay... They survive?"

"Some of them. But... You die a horrible death."

She had tears in her eyes, but she nodded. "Then I'll stay. I'll drink a potion to help me forget, and I'll see this through to the end... To protect my family."

"Tiffani... You can choose a different path."

"And if I tell them the truth and we confront my father sooner, what happens?"

Jeirmi saw the alternate time line in his mind. In it, Jaybert still slaughtered everyone except Laby, who killed him instead. "There's no stopping this," he said with a sigh. "Even if we warn Laby, Zell will interfere and make sure you all die. He wants Laby vulnerable. But if you leave, you can survive..."

"At the expense of others who aren't meant to die," Tiffani said. "I can't do that, Jeirmi. Playing with the time line is too risky. I won't damn others to a worse fate just to save myself. I need to be here. If... If I'm _meant_ to die, then I _should_."

Jeirmi looked at her with respect. "I can see why he loves you," he said.

"Why _who_ loves me?" Tiffani asked.

"Laby," he replied with a small smile.

Tiffani brightened at that. "I _knew_ there was hope," she said with a laugh. She looked at his injury and her expression turned serious. "Don't take the sword out. You'll bleed out faster. Let me stabilize you."

"How?"

Tiffani pulled a medical kit out from beneath Jaybert's desk. She started to pack gauze and bandages into his wound around the sword.

"You're remarkably calm, Tiffani," he said softly.

"I'm not the greatest fighter. First aid is something I'm good at. This is how _I_ contribute in emergencies," she explained.

He nodded. "Thank you."

"Can you make a jump without killing yourself?"

"I can try."

"Okay. Good luck, Jeirmi. Go save yourself so you can save the woman you love."

He smiled at her. "Take care of Laby for me. He's a great guy."

"I will." She kissed his cheek. "Go on. You're running out of time."

Jeirmi knew she was right. Closing his eyes, he stepped out of the time line. He aimed for a date that called to him three decades later. With the last of his energy, he jumped back into time and prayed he'd live long enough to find his love.

 _ **JAYBERT**_  
He was sick and tired of waiting for Zell's return. His newest _vizu_ friend had told him Zell was still recovering from the attack on the base. Although he could no longer summon the _vizu_ who'd worked with him in the 1980s thanks to Laby locking it in a tiny labyrinth made of mirrors, Jaybert found this new _vizu_ to be a decent companion. The visions it granted seemed to be accurate. That was why, when Jaybert saw Tiger's Bluff in his mind, he knew he needed to return.

The last thing he expected when he returned to the town he'd once called home was to find a familiar and unwelcome face lying on the ground in a pool of blood. "Jeirmi..."  
He mumbled. "I _wondered_ what became of you... How did you sustain such deadly injuries?" He looked at the weapon in his side. "I _do_ believe that is one of _my_ swords... How curious. I don't _remember_ stabbing you..." He noticed the way the wounds were packed. " _Tiffani_..." He snarled. "Curse that weak child of mine! She must have interfered..."

He examined the wounded time traveler. "I suppose it's time to finish you off," he said. "Great Zell will be pleased if I end your life."

He was about to pull the sword out of Jeirmi when his _vizu_ squeaked in warning. Jaybert looked up and saw two teenagers approaching. One was clearly Eltarian. Her blue skin stood out against her bright red hair. Her eyes were glowing white.

"We're close... I can _feel_ it," she said to the boy who walked with her.

"Mena... Something's wrong," the boy said as he visibly tensed.

"What is it, Greg?" Mena asked. Her eyes stopped glowing and focused on trying to see in the darkness of the woods.

Jaybert realized who the teenagers were now. He'd heard people referring to Ash's current incarnation as Greg. Mena was Zordon's cousin, the daughter of Rey, Eltar's former Prime Minister.

He decided he might as well kill a _few_ of Zell's enemies for him. "Hello, Children," he said, stepping out of the shadows.

Greg automatically stepped in front of Mena protectively. "Who are you?" He asked.

"My name is Jaybert, of Eltar," he replied casually.

"Jaybert... The one who killed Laby's Chapter of Rebels?" Greg asked in horror.

"They were _my_ Chapter. _I_ was in charge, _not_ Labyrinth," Jaybert corrected him.

"You monster..." Greg whispered.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Jaybert chuckled before manifesting a sword.

Mena automatically took a step back. Greg, to Jaybert's surprise, pulled out a sword of his own. "Stay behind me, Mena," he said.

"It's adorable how you protect her... Sadly, it is for nothing." Jaybert kept his eye on Greg's sword as he lunged straight for Mena. He was startled as he fell through a hole in the earth.

In a rage, Jaybert let out a cry of pain and frustration. "You'll _pay_ for that," he told Greg.

"Keep talking and I'll fill in the hole," Greg replied.

"You're bluffing. You're not a killer." Jaybert closed his eyes and levitated out of the hole. "But _I_ am." He quickly flung a spell at Greg.

"Greg!" Mena cried, knocking him to the ground and absorbing the blow. She began to twitch violently on the ground.

"Mena! No!" Greg shouted. He knelt before her protectively, raising his sword.

"It's not your fault, you know... You're just a boy," Jaybert said. "You simply haven't the power to protect her from me. You're helpless and cannot save her."

Something changed in Greg's eyes. "Never again..." He said in a voice that was distinctly different from his own. Then, the earth began to shake. Holes opened up around Jaybert, leaving him nowhere to run.

"How are you doing this?" Jaybert demanded.

"I'm not," Greg replied. _"Ash_ is."

The earth continued to shake. Jaybert could hear people in the houses closest to the woods panicking. "Fool! You'll bring the whole town down!" Jaybert cried as he struggled to remain on his feet.

Greg seemed to realize he was right. Instead of stopping, he called the earthquake closer, keeping it to the woods alone. Jaybert hadn't expected the boy to have that sort of control.

Magic was his only hope of survival. Jaybert began trying to focus despite the shaking to cast a powerful spell on Greg, or Ash, or whoever he must to put an end to this earthquake.

 _ **GREG**_  
"The earth is shaking! What great fun!" A new voice that was inappropriately cheerful said.

"Hold onto your asses, Lads!" Another chimed in.

"Or you'll fall on them and _I'll_ laugh _mine_ off," a third added.

Fifteen strangers approached as a group. Greg was highly confused, but he continued focusing on trying to control the earthquake despite his injuries.

The owner of the second voice was a rather large, rather round man with an amused grin on his face. He looked at the severely wounded man Jaybert had been standing in front of and laughed. "Well, I'll be Goddamned... Jeirmi of Eltar! There _are_ some surprises left in this world." He laughed.

Greg looked at the man in horror, realizing he was Eloise's missing love. _He's going to die,_ he thought. _That wound is too severe... Maybe Pierce or Andie can help..._

"He appears to be in _quite_ a state," the cheerful man said with a bit of concern, although he was still smiling.

"Amello, it had better be _you,"_ the third man said to another. "He's mortally wounded. No one else can save him." The man who must be Amello rushed to Jeirmi's side and began healing him.

"The Circle..." Jaybert hissed. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"We were bored and fancied a trip to Earth," the cheerful man replied with what Greg suspected was an infectious grin under normal circumstances.

"It's _lovely_ this time of year," a fourth man added.

 _"All the leaves are brown..."_ The large man sang.

 _"All the leaves are brown..."_ The cheerful one and five others echoed in perfect harmony.

 _"And the sky is gray..."_

 _"And the sky is gray..."_

 _"Happened for a walk..."_

 _"Happened for a walk..."_

 _"On a Winter's day..."_

 _"On a Winter's day..."_

 _"I'd be safe and warm..."_

 _"I'd be safe and warm..."_

 _"If I was in L.A..."_

 _"If I was in L.A..."_

 _"California dreamin'..."_

 _"California dreamin'..."_

 _"On such a Winter's day!"_ They finished in unison.

Greg stared at them in confusion and disbelief. Had they _really_ just burst into the Mamas and the Papas in the middle of a battle? And how had they kept their voices so even as they sang while the ground beneath their feet was shaking?

 _That's probably_ not _the important question here,_ Greg thought as he continued to stare at the unusual men he assumed were Eltarian Rebels.

"I _really_ don't like you guys," Jaybert mumbled.

"Even Branz? Come on, Jaybert, _everyone_ likes Branz! Even _Zell_ ," another man said. He radiated with magic and Greg sensed he was one of the group's leaders, probably along with the sarcastic one who'd threatened to laugh if the others fell. He motioned toward a guy Greg assumed was Branz, who'd been one of the ones singing.

" _Enough_ of this nonsense!" Jaybert declared. He raised a magical attack and launched it at Greg. It didn't hit him. Instead, the more sarcastic leader stood in front of Greg and absorbed the attack. It did absolutely nothing to him.

Greg was terrified as he realized how powerful and dark that man's energy was. He protectively remained in front of Mena, shielding her as she continued to seize.

"You're going to have to do better than that, Jaybert," the man said. "A _lot_ better."

Jaybert was obviously furious. "Some of you are on my side! Why are you interfering?" He demanded.

"Our loyalty is to _Zell_ ," the other leader replied. Greg's heart sank. Maybe these usual Eltarians had simply come to bring him and Mena to Zell themselves. "It is not now nor shall it ever be to _you,_ a man who would not know loyalty if it hit him on the head repeatedly." He held Jaybert's gaze as he added, "We know what happened to your Chapter, Jaybert... And many of us were rather fond of them."

Several of the men seemed to unanimously decide to cast spells at Jaybert at once. His _vizu_ squeaked in warning and tried to catch Greg's eyes.

The large man proceeded to quickly step on the _vizu_ , repeatedly squishing its head. "Oi! Pretty boy! Got a mirror?" He asked the more sarcastic of the two apparent leaders.

"Is that even a _question,_ Tinny?" The man replied. He manifested a large golden hand-held oval mirror and passed it to Tinny.

"Bye, bye, Bastard," Tinny said cheerfully as he shoved the mirror in front of the _vizu._ It let out a cry of outrage before vanishing.

"No! You'll _pay_ for that!" Jaybert shouted. He tried to attack Tinny.

"He's _kidding,_ right?" Tinny asked with a hearty laugh. He easily deflected Jaybert's attack.

"Well, he _does_ suffer from _vizu-_ induced madness," a man who'd been busying himself by playing with every single animal in the woods said practically. More animals came toward him.

"Oh, _kitty!"_ The cheerful one cried. "Who's a _cute_ little kitty cat?" He approached a jaguar cub who'd appeared.

"That is _not_ a house kitten, Ling," the sarcastic leader pointed out. "It's a _jaguar._ Leave it alone."

"It's _still_ cute... _Aren't_ you?" Ling asked as he moved to pet the animal.

"Ling... No," the other leader said calmly, shaking his head and smiling kindly.

The one who seemed to communicate with the animals pet the jaguar cub in silence. As soon as Jaybert attempted to move, however, he let the cub go. It ran straight at Jaybert, tackling him to the ground and obviously ready to make a meal out of him.

Cursing, Jaybert opened a portal and vanished. The cub vanished with him. "That loser couldn't even _escape_ properly," the sarcastic leader said with a laugh.

"Bye, Kitty," Ling said as he waved in the direction the jaguar had been in, still smiling brightly.

"Well, _that_ was fun, Lads! Now, to handle the others..." A man who stood in a way that told Greg he was some sort of Martial Arts expert said. He'd seen Darcy and Pierce assume similar stances.

"Right you are, Davi," the other leader said.

The earth was still shaking. Greg wanted to pull back his magic, but the earthquake had grown too powerful. That was when another of the singing Eltarians knelt on the ground and calmly touched it. The earthquake stopped. The man gently touched Greg's arm. He felt instantly grounded.

"You have earth magic..." Greg said in surprise.

"I do," the man replied. "I am Hudzon, of Eltar... It is good to see you have returned to us, Ash."

"It's _Greg_ now," Greg corrected him. "Gregory Matthew Arnold Junior, but, you know... Greg is fine."

Tinny laughed. "He must be a _hoot_ at parties!" He joked.

"Be kind, Tinny," the leader said. "Greg... I am Maegus. Allow me to assist your friend." He motioned toward Mena.

Greg was nervous, especially since Maegus had claimed he was loyal to Zell. "No," he said. "Stay _away_ from us."

"There's no _time_ for this, Kid," the sarcastic leader said. "The Prime Minister's daughter is going to _die_ if we don't break the spell. Now, if you don't _care_ if your little girlfriend dies, fine, but _we_ do."

"Hezzo, please, the boy has every reason not to trust us," Maegus said.

"I saved him from getting hit by a _death_ spell. Is that not reason _enough_?" Hezzo asked.

"Death spell..." Greg repeated numbly.

Ling cautiously approached him. "It's alright, Friend. We are here to help," he said soothingly with the smile still on his face. "Tell me... Is Daphne safe?"

"You... You knew Daphne?" Greg asked.

"Oh yes, _very_ well. I was one of the few friends Zell allowed her to have. I helped her smile return after she thought Anise had perished. I am Ling." He smiled at Greg cheerfully. "Actually, here... To help you keep us straight." He closed his eyes and snapped his fingers. Stickers that said, _Hello, my name is..._ appeared on each of the men.

Hezzo growled. "Ling, you _know_ I hate it when you do that!" He protested. Greg read his name tag and failed to cover a laugh as he realized it said Hezzo's name was _Cranky._

Tinny snorted before bursting into the jolliest laugh Greg had ever heard. "Well, he's not _wrong,"_ he said between fits of laughter.

Hezzo rolled his eyes. He tapped the sticker and his proper name appeared.

"May I assist the Prime Minister's daughter?" A man identified as Vrennius asked.

Looking at Mena, Greg realized she was in bad shape. "Alright," he said reluctantly.

Vrennius knelt beside Mena and waved his hands over her body. The spell instantly broke. She slowly opened her eyes, staring at the men with confusion.

"Greg? What is going on?" Mena asked.

"Mena of Eltar! Such a happy moment to see you alive and well!" Branz declared.

"Who _are_ you guys?" She asked.

"I'm _so_ glad you asked," Maegus replied grandly. "We are the Circle of Eltar, a unique Chapter of the Rebellion."

"You're Rebels?"

"We got bored after Zordon killed his dear old dad and decided it might be a fun way to kill some time until he returned," the one identified as Grayzee replied.

"I'm afraid I do not understand..." Mena said.

"That makes _two_ of us," Greg added.

"We're an unusual group of mostly strangers who came together under Maegus and Hezzo's leadership to form a secret society bent on destroying Zell," Sezzon explained patiently. "We come from all walks of life... We have Sorcerers, Wizards, and Warlocks within the same magical circle."

"Warlocks?" Greg pictured the Warlock and tensed. "Aren't Warlocks _evil?"_

"Yes," Hezzo replied coldly. "Well, except for _Ling_ , but he doesn't count. He _sucked_ at being a Warlock. His magic was incredibly strong, but he never used it to harm others. Now, _I,_ on the other hand, slaughtered innocents for fun from the time I was an infant."

"So... You're evil?" Greg asked, trying to keep up.

"According to my destined path, yes. _Extremely_ evil. The thing is, unlike the Great _Fake_ who cannot love _anyone_ like a _true_ force of evil, no matter how hard I tried to deny it, I _did_ love exactly two people... Ling here is one of them. Zell murdered the other... And that pissed me off, so I decided to change my destiny and do the last thing he'd expect and become a force of Good. I couldn't take him alone. _No one_ can. So I took Ling and went to Maegus and asked him to help us form the Circle. We spent the next two centuries or so plotting and working to destroy the bastard... We were _finally_ ready when news reached Eltar that Zordon had killed him before we had the chance to."

"Rotten luck, that," Branz said.

"Ruined all our fun," Danzel added.

"So we just hung around and partied for a bit," Tinny said.

"Until we found the Rebellion. We _still_ party, but we also pass time by helping take out _other_ corrupt assholes who wield their power over those too weak to defend themselves," Hezzo finished.

Amello pulled the sword out of Jeirmi. He sat up with a cry of alarm and Greg was certain he would bleed out, but his wound instantly healed instead. "There's a good lad," Amello said gently. "Easy now..."

"When am I?" Jeirmi asked. It might have been an odd question, but since he was a time traveler, it made sense. "I have to find Eloise... Please, she's mortally wounded-"

"She is safe," Mena said quickly, reassuring him. "You are in the right time. Sage, our Shaman friend healed her... You would probably know her people as Mystics. Anyway, she's in Angel Grove. It's a few hours away."

"She's alive?" Jeirmi asked.

"Very much so... And she alerted my friends and our mentor to the fact that we had the wrong set of morphers... I _know_ the right set is here, in this town, but I cannot seem to actually locate them. My power is to find things, and it _never_ fails, but they seem to be cloaked..."

"Medira..." Sezzon said softly.

"Yes," Mena said in surprise. "I was Medira."

"I am pleased to see you and Ash have been reunited." He smiled peacefully.

"Cloaked, you say? Well, then, lead us to where you sense them and we'll break the spell," Nee said practically.

Mena nodded. Greg hesitated. "Mena... Are you _sure_ we should trust them? If those morphers fall into the wrong hands..." He began, even though he was pretty sure the unusual men were trustworthy. It was one thing to work with them, but letting them near a set of morphers might be risky.

"I feel their intentions are pure, Greg. And I need help," Mena replied. "Besides, they've proven themselves by stopping Jaybert." Greg stopped protesting, but he clutched his stone in his hand in case he needed to morph. He felt in his gut that the Circle could be trusted, but he still needed to be prepared in case he was wrong.

 _ **MENA**_  
She led the way to the empty lot she was drawn to. Mena stared at it curiously. It was overgrown and looked like no one had touched it in decades.

"There is an energy here..." Danzel said nervously. "It's not much... Just an echo of a spirit not at rest. She is _very_ angry... And she is not whole. Most of her is in another time, and as a result, neither part can cross over... Much of her was destroyed by a pure energy that struck her dead..."

"Is she speaking to you?" Maegus asked.

"No... Echos can't interact with others... I just sense what happened here."

"Who was she?" Mena asked, although she already suspected.

"The space pirate... Divatox," Danzel replied.

Greg and Mena exchanged a glance. Mena tapped into her powers, her eyes glowing white as she felt the energy of the morphers more than ever. "They're here," she said, pointing to a spot in the ground.

"I'm on it," Greg said. He moved to dig a hole with his magic.

"I wouldn't-" Maegus cautioned. The ground sent Greg's energy back at him, knocking him through the air several feet.

"Greg!" Mena shouted in alarm.

"Do that..." Maegus finished as Hudzon casually made a bush bloom in just the right spot to catch Greg as he fell back to the ground.

Hezzo and Tinny burst out laughing. "Are you alright, Lad?" Tinny asked between fits of laughter.

"I appear to be uninjured..." Greg said after a moment of examining himself. "Thank you, Hudzon."

"No problem," Hudzon replied with a smile.

Mena hugged Greg to reassure herself he was really okay. "What _happened?"_ She asked.

"The morphers seem to have some sort of barrier spell on them," Greg replied. "As soon as I tried to make a hole in the earth, it attacked me."

"It's a kinship spell," Sezzon said. "A _powerful_ one, most likely formed upon the death of Divatox. Only her kin can breach the barrier."

"Divatox _has_ kin?" Greg asked in surprise. "Who?"

"Dimitria," Tinny replied casually. The others turned to look at him. "I _might_ have dated _both_ of the twins at different points in time over the years," he added with a sly grin.

"Who _haven't_ you tried to seduce over the millennia, Tinny?" Hezzo asked, rolling his eyes.

"Mena here, for one... I don't go for jailbait... But call me in a few years, sweetheart." He winked at her.

Greg looked pretty offended, but Mena laughed. "Sorry, but my heart belongs to Greg," she told him politely.

Tinny grinned. "Of _course_ it does. As well it should... Ash and Medira got a raw deal."

"Alright, so where _is_ Dimitria?" Maegus asked.

"No one's seen her in ages," Tinny replied. "Tracking her down might be a problem."

"We don't need her," Danzel said softly.

"We don't?" Greg repeated.

"I can try to use Divatox... If I can summon the part of her that died in the present instead of this broken slither here... She can break the barrier."

"Go for it, Lad," Hill said. "It's our best shot of helping the kids."

"Right." Danzel took a deep breath. Mena felt incredible magic filling the area. Suddenly, a very annoyed woman appeared in front of them.

"Ugh... Not _here,_ " she mumbled. "The sight of my greatest failure... _Why_ would you bring me back here?" She demanded.

"Hello, Divatox," Danzel said. "My name is Danzel... I know part of you is trapped here, and has been for the last thirty years. I would like to set you free."

She considered this. "You're Eltarian... The last time I worked with Eltarians in this town, they betrayed me and left me to die. Why should I trust you?"

"Those who betrayed you are dead, Divatox... Laby killed Jaybert after Jaybert slaughtered most of the others, including his daughter."

"Little Tiffani? That's a shame. She had _great_ fashion sense." She shrugged. "Did Laby survive? He was irritating, but at least he _sort of_ seemed to care about me occasionally."

"He survived, and then vanished for three decades... The problem is, Jaybert is back. He was here in this town, but we scared him off."

"So you're not friends of his?"

" _Certainly_ not," Hezzo chimed in.

"Let me help you, Divatox. I can free you from here, so you can finally move on," Danzel said.

She sighed. "Move on? I'm _dead_. You can't fix that," she said.

"We can't," Jeirmi said suddenly. "However, Zell is _using_ you, Divatox. Your death seems to have sealed something away from the people who oppose him... He knew when he sent you here that you had to die to achieve it."

She stared at him. _"What?_ " She demanded. "The box... Damn him! That _bastard_ said he was giving me a chance to survive! He promised he would reward my loyalty!"

"He _lies_ , Divatox. I think you know that." Danzel let his words sink in.

Divatox cursed. "What do I have to do?" She asked.

"You have to renounce your loyalty to him... You must choose to set things right, Divatox."

She nodded. "He _betrayed_ me. I have no loyalty to him whatsoever. If working with you takes away some of his power and messes up his _precious_ plans, I'm in."

"Divatox..." Mena said cautiously, causing the woman to look at her. "I am Mena, of Eltar... Daughter of Rey, the former Prime Minister... Zell locked away my team's morphers, and he used your death to do it. I feel strongly that if you connect to me, the morphers will reveal themselves, breaking the barrier, and freeing your soul."

"Ugh... _Another_ Power Ranger. I _hate_ your kind... But I hate _him_ more." Divatox sighed rather dramatically. "Fine, fine, whatever it takes..." She reached toward Mena and touched her.

Mena felt instantly cold, as though ice had been poured over her entire body. Still, she did not break the connection. She allowed Divatox to mix her energy into her own and directed it toward the location she knew the morphers were buried. "Greg... Prepare to open the hole," she told him cautiously. She focused all of Divatox's energy on the barrier. It began to take a physical form, and she could see it starting to crack.

Danzel looked at the barrier and began speaking in Eltarian. Mena recognized the necromancer's summoning spell and watched as it connected to the other part of Divatox. The broken slither seemed to slowly come toward her until it rushed into the rest of Divatox. The impact of it knocked Mena to the ground. Divatox screamed before she began to laugh.

 _"Finally!"_ She cried out in joy. She seemed almost alive again, but Mena knew she was still just a manifested spirit. That didn't stop the space pirate from trying to attack Mena, who was still trying to get back on her feet.

Hezzo threw up a barrier of ice around Mena. Danzel grabbed onto Divatox and said, "Not so fast." He whispered something.

Divatox vanished with a cry of, "You can't blame a girl for trying!"

Hezzo pulled his barrier down. Mena was shivering. Tinny wrapped his very large coat around her, which helped her warm up almost immediately.

"Are you okay?" Greg asked. Mena realized he'd successfully dug the hole in the earth.

"I'm fine," she said. She walked over to the hole and laid on the ground before sticking her hands into the earth. She had to put half of her body into the hole before she finally felt the box buried within. She pulled it up as Greg kept her from falling into the hole.

The box was bronze and had intricate symbols carved onto it. Mena read the Eltarian words inscribed on the outside. _"Mythical Guild..."_ She read aloud. She looked at the animals carved on the top of the box and understood. These morphers were each connected to powerful creatures associated with mythology on Earth. The box glowed as Mena traced the name of her team and she knew that these were the right morphers after all. The energy was different than the Ranger Guard morphers had been, and she knew somehow that although Zell had hidden them away, he couldn't taint them. While the morphers of the Ranger Guard were made purely from Eltarian magic and energy, this new set came from Earth.

"Are you going to open the box up?" Greg asked.

"Not until I'm back with my team," she said. "We all need to be present."

He nodded, seeming to understand.

"Well, _that_ was productive!" Maegus declared. "Alright then... Branz, Grayzee, off we go, Lads... Time to join the Alliance!"

"The Alliance?" Mena asked.

"But you said you're on _our_ side," Greg added.

"Oh, we _are,_ Friend," Grayzee said reassuringly.

"But _Zell_ doesn't know that," Branz added.

Maegus smiled. Then, he approached Hezzo. "Hezz... It's time to return this to its proper owner. You know what to do," he said. He handed a ring to Hezzo. Mena could feel the power on it.

"You're trusting _me_ with what may be the most powerful ring in existence?" Hezzo asked with a devilish smirk.

"You're the _only_ one I can trust to make sure it is returned to him. Protect it with your life."

"I promise," Hezzo said seriously. "Good luck, Brother. Be safe."

"You as well. See you on the other side." Maegus led Branz and Grayzee away.

"So... Do you know any good spots to eat around here? I'm famished," Ling said casually.

Mena looked at Greg, still clinging to the box of morphers. "Has anyone ever told you that you guys are a bit strange?" Greg asked the Circle.

"Strange? _Us?_ Never," Tinny said with a smirk. "Come on, Ling. I'll lead us to a nice meal. Davi-"

"I'll guide the children and Jeirmi back to Angel Grove," Davi said stoically. "Meet me there after you've all eaten." He looked at Mena, Greg, and Jeirmi. "Come along... The sooner those morphers are in Angel Grove, the better." He led the way, and Mena, Greg, and Jeirmi followed. Mena hoped they were finally back on the right path.

 _ **CALLIE**_

She was finally conscious. At first, she wasn't sure what had happened, but soon, the attack on the base came back to her. "Sharon..." She mumbled. She looked around. She was in an unfamiliar room. "Great. Where the fuck _am_ I?" She wondered aloud.

"Safe," a voice responded. "For now."

Callie was startled to see Astronema standing in front of her. There was no denying who she was, even if she looked different. "What do you want from me?" She demanded.

"Look, Kid-"

" _Don't_ call me kid. It's _Callie."_

"Fine, Callie... You were rescued from Zell's base when it fell apart. You could have been left for dead, but Scarlet took pity on you and made sure you got out of there alive."

"Where's Sharon?"

"Sharon's fine. She's downstairs. You're at the safe house some of us are living in. It was deemed _I'd_ be the best one to handle you if you decided to become a problem."

"I want to see her. _Now._ "

"You don't get to make demands, Little Girl. Not here."

"Look, Astronema-"

"Karone."

"Just let me see Sharon, alright? She's probably freaking the hell out."

"She was... We reassured her no one's going to hurt her. Mostly, she's just been worried about you. You've been unconscious for several days." Karone paused. "I'll let you see her, but you need to behave yourself, alright?"

"Fine, whatever."

"There's a bathroom down the hall. Take a shower and wake yourself up. Then come downstairs. There's food. You're probably starving."

She was, but she didn't admit that. Instead, she shrugged and walked down the hall to the bathroom. She quickly took a shower, once again appreciating the sweet shampoo she found. This one was lavender-scented. It calmed her nerves. When she stepped out of the shower, she found fresh clothes waiting for her. She quickly got dressed before heading downstairs.

Sharon looked at her with obvious relief. "Callie! You're awake!" She cried. She ran toward her and hugged her, much to Callie's surprise. Callie relaxed after a moment and hugged her back.

"I'm fine. Are you hurt?" She asked.

"No... I was a bit scraped up, but they healed me days ago."

"We need to get out of here, Sharon. Great Zell's probably waiting for us to return to him. I can feel him..."

"Callie... What if we stay here?"

"We can't. We don't belong with these people, Sharon... And Astronema's dangerous."

"Her name is Karone, and she's actually been quite lovely..."

"You don't know the things she's done, Sharon. Onyx was full of legends about all of the trouble she caused. She's as dangerous as Mistress Cheetah..."

"Please, Callie... They're trying to help us. They knew my mother."

"Look, I don't want to leave you here, Sharon. I could just leave and go to Zell, but you need me."

"I _do_ need you... Which is why I want you to stay."

"I _can't._ "

"Callie... _Please._.. Just... Give it a try? For _me?_ "

Callie sighed. "Fine. But the second things go sideways, I'm getting us out of here. Do you understand me?"

Sharon hugged her again. "Thank you," she said. "Now, eat. The food's delicious."

Callie realized two people were watching them as she began to eat. "What are _you_ looking at?" She snapped.

"She reminds me of Karone when she was still Astronema," one said with a laugh. "Sorry, Callie. We don't mean to stare. I'm Zhane. This is Andros, Karone's brother. You'll meet my sister, V, and my daughter, Zoey, later. And Ella's probably around here somewhere with Little Leo. They're Karone's kids."

"It's good to see you're awake," Andros said politely, although he seemed weary of her.

 _Good,_ she thought. _At least_ one _of them is smart_. She might have agreed to stay, but that didn't mean she trusted them or was on their side. The minute she had a chance to get through to Sharon, she'd get them both out of there.

 _ **LOGAN**_

Returning to Angel Grove had been terrifying. Logan wasn't ready to face the team he'd betrayed, but they didn't seem to be holding it against him. In fact, everyone was going out of their way to make him feel better about what had happened.

"Freddy..." Logan said as he finally faced the final member of the team besides Mena who he hadn't seen yet. "I'm sorry... I... I didn't know what I was doing..."

Freddy shrugged. "Okay," he replied casually.

"Really? That's all you're going to say?" He asked.

"Yeah," Freddy replied. He offered Logan his hand. Logan awkwardly took it and accepted the handshake before Freddy gave him a quick "man hug."

A rather unusual girl with red hair approached him. "Hi, Logan," she said. "It's good to see you're not off trying to destroy the world with Zell." She smiled brightly.

"Um..." Logan replied in confusion.

"Oh, right! I'm Eloise. I'm here to help." She was about to leave when the front door to the house opened. Mena stepped inside first, followed by Greg.

"Mena found them, Gram!" Greg announced.

"Excellent news!" Lady Eleanor said as she joined them. "I'm pleased to see you've returned to us safely, Gregory... Mena."

Logan looked at Mena with guilt in his eyes. "Mena... I'm-" He began.

"Hush. There's no need," she promised him. "I know that was not you, Logan." She gave him a hug.

Someone walked in cautiously behind her. Eloise squeaked in surprise. "Jeirmi!" She shouted. She ran at him and flung her arms around his neck, then jumped into the air and wrapped her legs around him, too. She kissed him before sobbing into his shoulder.

"Oh, thank _God_..." Jeirmi said softly. He held her tightly for a minute before easing her back toward the ground. "I thought... I thought I'd lost you..."

"I'm okay. Sage saved me. I fell right at her feet! How great is _that_ , right?"

"Excuse us, please," Mena said politely. She motioned for the team to follow her into another room. Greg let them go without him, but Lady Eleanor followed. Mena presented an unusual box. "I thought we should be together when it was opened," she explained.

"Incredible..." Lady Eleanor said as she examined the box. "You are _truly_ gifted to have found this, Mena. I can tell it was well guarded."

"When Zell sent Divatox back in time, he sent her back with our morphers. He did it with the intention of her dying. Her energy sealed this box so no one could retrieve it, but Greg and I met some Eltarians who helped us use Divatox to get the box... That's a long story I'll get into another time. Anyway, who's ready to open it?"

Nessa smiled. "I am _so_ ready. I'd normally be the one to do it myself as the team leader, but Mena, I think you should have the honor," she said.

Mena nodded. "Here goes," she said. She cautiously opened the box. Incredible power began to flow through the room. The coins inside were each carved with a mythological creature. The team studied them for a minute before Mena cautiously took one out of the box. "The Sphinx..." She said aloud. The coin turned blue as she held it in her hands. A peaceful expression came over her face.

Nessa reached forward next. "The Chimera," she said. The coin turned red. Nessa grinned.

Van reached into the box next. "The Pegasus," he said. He stared in wonder as the coin turned yellow.

Allie reached in next. "It's the Unicorn," she said with a grin. The coin turned pink. "I _love_ unicorns..."

Freddy reached into the box. He pulled out a coin a bit nervously. "The Gryphon," he announced. The coin turned black. He nodded, seeming to be pleased with the energy he felt.

"Logan... It is your turn," Lady Eleanor said.

Logan hesitated. After everything that had happened, was he even worthy of being a Power Ranger anymore? Having a morpher had led to all of the trouble to begin with. "I..." He shook his head.

"Logan... You're one of us," Nessa said firmly. "This is the right path."

He nodded. Taking a deep breath, he reached into the box with a trembling hand and pulled out the final coin. "The Phoenix," he said. He shook his head. Not only was it a fire symbol, but it represented so many things he personally related to he could hardly deny it was the right coin for him. It turned white in his hand.

"Children... It is time to make this official," Lady Eleanor said.

Nessa nodded. "Right. Here we go," she said. She inserted her coin into the first morpher and declared, "Mythical Guild, Chimera!" She morphed into a red uniform with a chimera over the center of her chest.

"Nice..." Freddy said with approval.

The others followed Nessa's lead, each morphing into the appropriate color and displaying their mythological creature over their chest. Finally, when it was Logan's turn, he took a deep breath. He was terrified, but he knew he had to try.

"Mythical Guild, Phoenix!" He cried out. Suddenly, the energy of the Phoenix flowed through him. It seemed to heal something inside of his heart, and finally, Logan felt a little bit of peace as he morphed.

"Yes! _That's_ what I'm talking about!" Nessa proclaimed.

"It's good to be back," Mena agreed.

"This is different than it was before... It feels... More _natural,_ if that makes sense," Van said.

"Yeah," Freddy agreed.

"Logan... Are you alright?" Allie asked gently.

He nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I think I am." He smiled as the team dropped their morphs in unison.

Lady Eleanor watched them with approval. "Excellent," she said. "Now we can resume training and get back on track."

"Or, like... We can celebrate and adjust and, you know, _relax_ for a little while," Nessa suggested. "We _just_ got our proper powers, Lady Eleanor. Give us a day?"

Lady Eleanor considered this before nodding. "I suppose you do need a day to adjust to being back together and having new powers," she said. "I'll make lunch." She headed off in that way that only a grandmother with a mission to feed people could.

Logan took a moment to look at his team and process everything that had just happened. They were together, alive, and still a team. They accepted him and had forgiven his betrayal. Now, he simply needed to forgive _himself_. Clutching the Phoenix coin in his hand, Logan prayed he would find the strength to let go of his past and embrace the future.

 _ **CAPTAIN SMITH**_

He hadn't expected to walk outside of his Chapter's current home and find a bloody form on the porch, but that was exactly what greeted him. Captain Smith hurried to the man who lay there clearly nearly death.

"Tedius!" He shouted. "Someone needs assistance!"

Tedius hurried outside. Kizzie and B'Danna followed him. "Sir? What's happened?" Kizzie asked.

Captain Smith and Tedius carefully flipped the man over. "It's Wu," Captain Smith replied.

"Wu's quite the warrior... Who could have done this to him?" B'Danna asked in surprise.

Tedius was already trying to heal him. "Where is the rest of his Chapter?" Kizzie asked. "If their Captain is in this condition..."

Captain Smith had a horrible feeling he already knew the answer to that question. "The only people who stood a chance of catching Wu off-guard were his own," he said softly. "Kizzie... Contact Vitella immediately. Tell her Wu is in critical condition, and there appears to have been a mutiny."

"Of course, Sir," Kizzie said, hurrying inside to do as instructed.

"You think his own Chapter did this to him? Why?" B'Danna asked.

"The Shanghai Chapter was reluctant to declare a side... It was clear Wu wished to join Vitella and the Rebellion, but his people resisted... He would never have let them betray the Rebellion without a fight," Captain Smith explained. He looked at Tedius. "Will he survive?" He asked.

"I believe I can heal him," Tedius replied. "He is gravely wounded, but he made it to us in time."

Captain Smith nodded. He took Wu's hand in his own. "Stay strong, Azzerwu," he said.

Vitella arrived a short time later. She looked horrified as she watched Tedius continue trying to heal Wu. "You believe it was his Chapter?" She asked Captain Smith.

"I do. Wu is one of the fiercest warriors in the Rebellion. It would take much to catch him by surprise. Only those he trusted could accomplish this so thoroughly," he replied.

"He is stable," Tedius said. He looked pale.

"Go rest, Tedi," Captain Smith said. "Thank you for your help."

"Of course," Tedius replied. He stood on shaky legs. B'Danna automatically helped support him and guide him back inside.

Wu sat up slowly with a slight groan. "Ah," he said. "It worked. Good."

"Azzerwu... Tell us what happened," Vitella said gently, kneeling beside him.

"Mutiny, Vitti," he replied sadly. "I stand firmly with the Rebellion... Unfortunately, my Chapter disagreed with this choice. My Lieutenant, the Sorceress Britterra, organized an attack against me. They believed they killed me, especially after Lang and Lun were finished with me." Captain Smith knew Lang and Lun were Shanghai's tactical experts, a pair of brilliant siblings. "I used the last of my energy to open a portal and come here... It is probably best they continue to believe I perished from their attack for now. They seemed quite determined to end my life. Nedezzo hesitated, but in the end, even _he_ went with Britterra... Which means Zell now has a powerful healer on his side, at least once they find their way to him." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Vitti. I tried to stop them."

"You did the right thing," Vitella said firmly. "In the end, your only chance of survival was coming here. I'm just grateful we didn't lose you today."

"Do you believe the others remain in Shanghai?" Captain Smith asked.

"No. I think they planned to head to Greece. Word has it the entire Greek Chapter has defected," Wu replied.

" _Damn_ them..." Vitella mumbled. "Those fools are going to get themselves _killed_ , along with the three from Rome who defected." She shook her head.

"You may remain here, Wu," Captain Smith said. "We offer you sanctuary. Unless you would prefer to stay with Kyoko in Tokyo or Chung in Seoul?"

"I'll stay here for now. I appreciate your offer," Wu replied. "If my Chapter is coming here, I need to remain local so I can help stand against them."

"I'll be calling in the others soon anyway," Vitella said. "I'm also going to recall some of the Eltarians not currently on Earth. The Rebellion needs to stand together as one if we are going to defeat this enemy."

"We await your instructions, Vitella," Captain Smith said respectfully. "Wu, you should come inside and rest. Vitti, if you'd like to join us for the evening, I can have Kizzie order some food."

"Unfortunately, I need to get to work on contacting everyone," Vitella replied. "Some other time, perhaps."

"Of course." He gave her a hug before allowing her to leave. Then, he turned to Wu. "Whatever you need, my friend, I am here for you."

"Thank you, Captain Smith," Wu replied. "I'm afraid I do not know what that is currently."

Captain Smith nodded. "I understand. For now, let us focus on feeding you so you can regain your strength." He led Wu inside, understanding entirely too well what it was he must be feeling.

 _ **BAX**_

He was definitely enjoying living it up with the Greeks. Unfortunately, he knew they'd need to find Zell eventually. Still, for the first time in ages, his head felt clear. He watched Zizi swaying to the music in the club and smiled to himself.

 _She's beautiful,_ he thought. He should have become determined to put a move on her and get her in bed, but he wasn't. It was strange, but Bax had become oddly attached to Zizi since they'd been in Greece. He didn't want to hurt her... He just wanted to spend time with her.

Suddenly, an image flashed through his mind. _Bax was confused by the vision of a house on fire and a baby girl who appeared to be dead from smoke inhalation. He watched as a boy pulled the infant into his arms and used the power of Air to breathe life into her. To the boy's shock, the girl was revived._

 _Suddenly, the girl grew older. The boy watched her with joy in his heart, loving the little sister he'd adopted after her entire family was killed in the fire. Although he was a good person, his heart had turned darker as Zell began paying too much attention to him. He began serving him, initially believing Zell was a force of Good and feeling honored he had taken such an interest in him. Then, slowly, the truth became clear. Zell was evil, and the boy was his loyal follower._

 _The vision shifted again. This time, the boy, now a man, stood in a room, holding a weapon as he watched the sister he loved so much._

 _"Zutan... You are frightening me," the girl said softly._

 _Zutan looked away from her eyes, unable to face her. He sighed. "Go, Rosemary," he said. "Leave this place... Do not return until the morning." He shoved the knife away from his body before kissing her cheek._

 _"Zutan?" She asked in confusion._

 _"Just go, Little One... I love you. That is all you must know." He sent her away, knowing he would never be as strong as Zell because the one thing he could_ never _do was harm that little girl._

 _Bax found himself looking into a mirror. Zutan stared back at him and said very clearly, "Don't make the same mistakes again, you fool!"_

Suddenly, Bax snapped back to the present. He gasped in shock as too many emotions hit him at once that he couldn't understand. The only thing he knew now was that, somehow, _he_ had been Zutan, who happened to be one of Zell's most infamous and loyal followers back on Eltar. He'd been the one to betray Talon, leading to Zell killing him, even though Talon was supposed to have been one of his dearest friends. He'd done many horrible things, the sort of things Bax often did himself... But looking at Zizi, he suddenly wished he hadn't done _any_ of them, including the way he'd treated Liza. That made no sense... Why should Zizi get to him like that? Trembling, he stared at her.

 _Is it possible?_ He wondered. He knew what he felt looking at her now, but it made no sense. Sweet, gentle Rosemary had been _nothing_ like Zizi, at least not while Zutan had been alive. He knew somehow that Rosemary had met a horrific end at the hands of the man she married, another of Zell's people. Maybe that had changed her and made her determined to come back strong. Rosemary had been the one thing that kept Zutan from being completely evil. She'd pulled him back from the edge a number of times... And now, looking at Zizi made Bax want to change. Zizi, who had saved his life more than once even though she obviously disliked him, almost like she couldn't help herself... On some level, maybe she was feeling their connection, too. He couldn't deny the obvious.

"Shit..." He whispered aloud.

 _Don't make the same mistakes again, you fool!_ He heard Zutan's words echo in his mind.

"Too late..." Bax mumbled. He finally understood why Zell had resurrected him, and why he kept him around even though he seemed to have no use for him. Zell didn't want Bax by his side... He wanted _Zutan_. And Bax knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Zutan regretted his choices in life. Bax had never regretted anything evil he'd done before, but now, he wondered if Zutan was right. He'd made evil choices at nearly every turn and he'd ended up dead at Stone's hands. Had it _really_ been worth it?

"Bax? Are you okay?" Zizi asked as she joined him. She looked genuinely concerned.

"Yeah," he said, plastering a casual smile on his face for her sake. "I'm fine. Wanna dance?"

"You think you can keep up with me?" Zizi teased him.

"I _know_ I can." He took her hand and led her back to the dance floor, forcing himself to ignore everything racing through his mind. If what he suspected was the truth, neither one of them would be safe.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **TAMMY**_

She was desperately trying to forget what day it was. It depressed her that she'd decided not to celebrate her birthday, but she still stood by her belief that it was wrong to ask everyone else to drop everything just to acknowledge it. She headed to training and was surprised to see that the room was dark.

Suddenly, a spotlight appeared aimed toward the back of the room. Tammy looked at it confusion as music began to play. She _knew_ that song. Still, what happened next was the _very_ last thing she expected.

Ollie came out of the shadows, making the most dramatic entrance possible with that parlor trick. He proceeded to begin to sing along. _"You're insecure... Don't know what for... You're turning heads when you walk through the door. Don't need makeup to cover up. Being the way that you are is enough... Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but you... Baby you light up my world like nobody else! The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed. But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell you don't know, oh-oh, you don't know you're beautiful. If only you saw what I can see, you'll understand why I want you so desperately. Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe you don't know, oh-oh, you don't know you're beautiful! Oh-oh... That's what makes you beautiful!"_

Tammy stared at him in shock. That was when his backup came out and began to join in on the song. Brian and Caleb began dancing around him and singing backup vocals where appropriate. Tammy couldn't help but smile and her light began filling the room. She noticed the Power Rangers, the rest of the Chosen, and even the Rebels they'd come to know in the room. Her mother and brothers were there as well, along with Bulk, Lieutenant Stone, Professor Phenomenous, and basically everyone she knew and loved the most currently in Angel Grove.

 _"So come on, you got it wrong... To prove I'm right, I put it in a song... I don't know why you're being shy and turn away when I look into your eyes... Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but you... Baby, you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed... But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell, You don't know, oh-oh, you don't know you're beautiful... If only you saw what I can see, you'll understand why I want you so desperately. Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe you don't know, oh-oh, you don't know you're beautiful! Oh-oh... That's what makes you beautiful! Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na... Baby, you light up my world like nobody else. The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed. But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell you don't know, oh-oh, you don't know you're beautiful. Baby, you light up my world like nobody else. The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed. But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, You don't know, oh-oh, you don't know you're beautiful. If only you saw what I can see , you'll understand why I want you so desperately. Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe you don't know, oh-oh, you don't know you're beautiful... Oh-oh-oh, you don't know you're beautiful. Oh-oh, that's what makes you beautiful!"_

As everyone else began to applaud, Tammy nearly burst into tears from both joy and laughing too hard at her goofy teammates. "Oliver Zachary Scott... Did you _really_ do this?" She asked.

"Happy birthday, Tammy," Ollie replied.

She flung her arms around him, giving him a kiss. The rest of those present proceeded to burst into an enthusiastic chorus of _"Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday, Dear Tammy... Happy birthday to you!"_

"You guys..." Tammy said through tears.

"We love you, Tam," Ollie said. "And everyone wanted to make sure you knew it, today especially."

"I love you guys, too," she said softly. She still missed her father more than she could express, but for the first time since she'd lost him, Tammy felt complete and genuine happiness. She knew in her heart that her father was there, too, probably laughing his butt off at Ollie's expense. She smiled at the visual, finally feeling at peace for just a little while. Ollie might not know it, but he'd given her _exactly_ the gift she'd needed.

 _ **THE NEXT MORNING.**_

 _ **IVAN**_

Things were nearly back to normal. Although Riley was still missing and the team was very worried about him, they took comfort in the fact that Miss Morgan had returned to them. She seemed to be adjusting well enough.

The team headed out to patrol as a unit. Andie was with them, staying close to Ivan. He certainly didn't mind. Everything seemed to be in order until, rather suddenly, a man approached them.

Ivan did not recognize him, but something seemed off about him that he couldn't quite explain. "Pardon me," the man said politely. "Would any of you happen to know where Captain Smith is residing? I've come to join the Rebels," he said.

There was nothing that seemed untrustworthy about the man. Aside from the rather harsh scar that went straight over his eye and made it clear he was half blind, the man looked like any other Eltarian they'd come across, and he was very calm as he spoke. However, Andie tensed beside Ivan, and that was enough for him.

"That depends, Sir," he said. "Who might you be?"

"Forgive me for not introducing myself. I'm part of the Rebellion, of Eltar. I was looking for my old friend so I could lend my efforts to the fight against Zell."

His voice was reassuring. "Of course," Chase said. "The Rebels are-"

"Don't," Andie said sharply.

"What?" Chase asked in confusion.

"You still lie incredibly well, Jezz," she said softly.

The man turned to look at her. "Daphne..." He said in surprise. "I... I did not expect you to be here."

"Go back to _hell_ , Jezzeff," Andie said with a lot more fire than Ivan had expected.

Ivan automatically pulled out his sword at her tone. Tyler and Chase looked like they were both ready to tell the others to morph. Koda glared at Jezzeff as he sensed he was a serious threat.

"Daphne... I don't understand. We were friends... You and I were basically family," Jezzeff said. He looked genuinely hurt. Ivan almost felt sorry for him.

" _Family_ doesn't betray each other and get each other killed... I didn't know it then, but I feel it on you now. I know the things you did... I _know_ you're the one who told Zell what Sera and Ash were up to! I know what you've done. I feel the lives you've taken... You killed your own best friend!" Andie cried out. Ivan realized her element of Spirit must have connected her to the information somehow. " _How_ could you kill Vee? He was a good man... He defended you!"

"Daphne, sweetheart, I could never betray your family... Sera and Ash were two of my dearest friends," Jezzeff insisted. He reached toward her to try to comfort her. Andie began shaking violently.

"M'Lady... Allow _me_ to handle this fiend," Ivan said as he stepped between them.

"I don't get it... What's going on?" AJ asked.

"I do believe that this man is a traitor who works for Zell," Kendall replied.

Suddenly, Katherine appeared. She smiled at Jezzeff before looking at the others. "Oh good. I'm not too late to join the fight," she said. Suddenly, an army of monsters appeared.

"Since when does Kat have her own army?" Chase asked.

"Who _cares?_ It's Morphin' Time!" Tyler said.

The team quickly morphed. Andie did not. She continued to stare at Jezzeff, seemingly torn between being Daphne and being herself. "M'Lady... Stay behind me," Ivan said. "I shall protect thee."

Jezzeff attacked one of the monsters before it could reach Andie. Ivan was confused by the turn of events, but he didn't let that make him drop his guard. "Get your team out of here," Jezzeff said. "I'll hold her off."

It was convincing. Good _God,_ it was convincing... But the look on Andie's face told Ivan everything he needed to know. This man could not be trusted, no matter _how_ well he lied.

"Stay back!" Ivan commanded him. He presented his sword in front of him.

Jezzeff finally dropped the act. He smiled as he pulled out his own sword. As his team faced off against Katherine and the monsters, Ivan's duel with Jezzeff began. Ivan was stunned by how gifted the man was with his sword. He'd never faced an opponent so incredibly skilled before.

"He's Terridian's nephew," Andie said shakily. Ivan knew she was struggling to keep Daphne from taking control of her body. "You can't beat him with a sword, Ivan. _No one_ can."

Ivan knew that Terridian had been the greatest swordsmith in the history of Eltar. If he'd trained the boy himself, that explained his impressive skill. It was rare anyone was better with a sword than Ivan, but it seemed he'd met his match.

"I shall fight with honor," Ivan declared, because he knew he needed to keep Jezzeff away from Andie no matter what else happened.

They dueled for a bit. Ivan managed to get one very good hit in, which seemed to shock Jezzeff for a moment. In that instant, Ivan looked at his team to make sure they were all still holding up alright.

AJ and Koda battled close together, handling a very aggressive pair of monsters well. Chase and Tyler were tackling a group of three monsters who kept changing their tactics and trying to defeat them. Kendall stood close to Zenowing, obviously nervous but fighting confidently with him. Prince Phillip came closer to Ivan, raising his own sword in solidarity.

"My Prince, this opponent is far too dangerous," Ivan said. "I cannot allow you to risk your life here."

"Sir Ivan, with all due respect... I am not leaving your side in this fight," Phillip said firmly.

Ivan knew better than to argue with him. Together, they fought Jezzeff. He grinned, seemingly pleased with this new development.

"A bit of a challenge. How refreshing," Jezzeff said. He proceeded to prove that fighting two of them at once wasn't _really_ any challenge at all as he shoved his sword into Phillip. His morph failed, but it did stop the sword from piercing his flesh.

"My Prince!" Ivan shouted. He was filled with rage as he aimed his sword at Jezzeff's legs. He swept them out from beneath the surprised Eltarian and knocked him to the ground. " _No one_ harms the Prince of Zandar!" He declared.

Jezzeff took a moment to catch his breath as Ivan held his sword perilously close to the man's throat. Then, he laughed. "Nicely done," he said. "I suppose I am a bit rusty. After all, I've been dead for several millennia."

"Dead..." Ivan repeated.

"Oh, yes. Did I forget to mention that? Garron's toddlers were sent to execute me after I killed Vee. Raffitty's apparently dead and gone, but he was never the issue anyway... It was Captain Smith who ended my life, so I thought I'd pay him a visit." He laughed before jumping up with impossible speed and trying to decapitate Ivan.

To Ivan's great surprise, his head did not roll. Instead, an arrow pierced Jezzeff's chest. He stared down at it in confusion before looking up to see who had dared to shoot him.

Andie stood beside Ivan holding her bow steadily on Jezzeff with a second arrow ready to go. "Don't. Move," she said firmly.

Ivan smiled. "Thank you, M'Lady," he said softly.

"Anytime," Andie replied.

"You're not the girl I remember," Jezzeff said as he pulled the arrow out. He bled, but it was obvious he was immortal and he began healing quickly.

"Damn _right_ I'm not," Andie replied.

"How interesting... And unexpected," he said like he was mildly amused. "Until we meet again, Sweet Daphne," he added with a dramatic bow before he vanished into thin air.

"Are you okay?" Andie asked Ivan.

"I'm well," he promised.

"Prince Phillip?" She asked as she knelt beside him.

"It's nothing serious," the Prince replied. "I simply got the wind knocked out of me."

She nodded. "Come on. The fight's not over yet," she said. She proceeded to morph.

The fight moved quickly after that. Together, the Dino Charge Rangers and Andie were able to defeat the monsters easily. Despite this, Katherine didn't seem discouraged. "They were useless anyway," she said. "These were the few monsters from Onyx who fled while Lily, or Mistress Cheetah, or whatever the fuck she's going by now was busy attacking Eltar. They had enough sense to realize they'd never defeat Anise, let alone Zordon if he showed up, and they came to me seeking sanctuary in the Alliance. I don't need them."

Katherine zeroed in on Ivan then. "My father will be very pleased if I destroy you," she informed him.

Andie stepped in front of him protectively. "Don't take another step," she told her. "Or I'll kill you myself."

"Oh, come on, Step-Mummy. Don't be like that," Katherine said with an evil laugh. She was about to send some sort of spell toward Ivan when she suddenly tensed and looked confused. She tilted her head to the side. "I think I'll teleport to Ethiopia... I hear it's lovely..." She said in a trance-like state. Then, she vanished from sight.

"What the...?" Tyler asked what everyone else was probably thinking.

"You're welcome," a man said pleasantly as he approached them. He grinned.

" _Another_ Eltarian... Are you a friend or a foe?" Ivan asked cautiously.

" _I'm_ the Eltarian who just slipped into Katherine's mind and inspired her to go on vacation. The name's Trerry." He seemed very casual until he suddenly looked at Ivan and froze. _"Lygus?"_ He whispered.

"I beg your pardon, Sir?" Ivan asked in confusion. He wasn't sure why the name sent such a chill through his entire body.

Andie looked horrified as something seemed to hit her. Ivan knew the look well. It meant Daphne had remembered something, and whatever it was had upset Andie deeply. "No..." She whispered.

"M'Lady? What troubles you?" Ivan asked as Andie tried to back away from him. She stumbled and he steadied her automatically.

"Brave Sir Lygus... My God... It _is_ you..." Trerry said softly, shaking his head as he watched them.

"I... I have to go," Andie said.

"M'Lady, wait!" Ivan said as she took off running.

"You should let her go," Trerry said gently. "Hey, Caveman... Follow her and keep her safe please?"

Koda nodded after a moment. "Koda protect," he promised Ivan seriously before chasing after Andie.

"My Good Sir, I do _not_ take orders from you, especially when it comes to my beloved," Ivan protested to Trerry.

"She needs space... I'm afraid I may have accidentally upset her," Trerry replied. "Right now, she needs time to process what she just realized because I stupidly blurted that out."

"What, exactly, did she realize?" Ivan demanded.

"Let's start over... As I said, I'm Trerry... And once, a _very_ long time ago, you were my dear, brave, noble young friend... Lygus of Eltar."

"Are you _mad?_ I am _not_ Eltarian. I am Sir Ivan, Knight of Zandar."

"And long before you were Sir Ivan, you were Sir Lygus... Noble Peacekeeper and fierce protector of a certain little girl you formed an attachment to when she saved your life by healing you." Trerry paused. "Let me guess... Zell's been hell-bent on destroying _you_ in particular, right?"

"Yes, because Andie and I are together but he still views her as Daphne."

"It's not _only_ that, Sir Ivan... You see, although they met when she was seven and he was eleven, Lygus vowed to protect Daphne. He kept that vow the best he could and became her dear friend... And when he realized Zell was hurting the girl, he vowed to put a stop to it. Daphne tried denying it. She was fifteen and terrified... But Lygus knew the truth. He asked me and our other friend to help save the girl, but before we could... Lygus vanished. I knew what really happened to him. Zell _murdered_ him for interfering and getting too close to Daphne. And unfortunately, I think Daphne figured that out before she died... And Andie's probably feeling her guilt and grief over that loss."

"It isn't her fault..." Ivan whispered as the horrible reality set in. He wanted to deny it, but in his heart, he knew Trerry was telling him the absolute truth... And it explained a _lot,_ including why Zell wanted him destroyed and why Andie had risked her life to keep him from being turned evil in the flames. Daphne had promised Lygus she would protect him from his greatest fear, turning evil as his own father had. "She kept her promise..." He whispered. "And now... It is my turn to keep mine." No matter what else happened, he would protect Andie from Zell. This time, he would get things right.

"Come with me, Sir Ivan," Trerry said. "I'll help you remember, and then you can go to Andie."

Ivan nodded numbly. He'd go with Trerry and unlock his past... Then, he'd find Andie and help her process it. This was the last thing he'd expected, but he felt like a fool for not seeing it coming. He took a deep breath and decided he would _not_ be blindsided again.


	25. Chapter 25

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _If any of you have watched_ Bleach, _in which our beloved Johnny Yong Bosch voices the main character, you will understand this... The character of Sakura, who you are about to meet, is a soul reaper. She belongs exclusively to Aura MacKenzie. Something is coming shortly that, quite frankly, could_ only _be pulled off by a soul reaper, which is why she's being introduced. Captain Jushiro Ukitake, Captain Unohana, Uryu, and Isane are all characters from the anime. Also, prepare yourselves for a_ huge _reveal about the Alchemist and the Warlock that will especially interest those of you who read_ Stone Warriors. _(Hello, plot twist!)_ _After this chapter, the action should pick up significantly as the Alliance is about to come back together._

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

 _ **ANDIE**_  
It was nearly impossible to keep Daphne from overwhelming her. Andie ran straight to the woods, not even knowing where she was going to go... She simply knew she _had_ to keep running until she was as far away from Ivan as possible.

She tripped over a stone and fell to the ground with alarming force. Her head hit the ground and she could feel blood trailing down the side of her head.

"Great," Andie mumbled. "And the Golden Spaz medal goes to me... _Again_..." She sighed, trying to sit up.

She wasn't entirely surprised when Koda knelt beside her. "You hurt," he said. "Koda help." He tried to touch her head and Andie flinched.

"Koda... Just go," she said softly. "I'm fine."

"No. _Not_ fine. _Bleeding,"_ Koda pointed out.

 _He'll kill him! He'll kill_ anyone _who helps you! Send him away!_ Her mind insisted.

Andie took a deep breath, trying to force her panic back. "I'm okay, Koda. I just... I need to be alone right now," she said.

"Trerry say watch you. Ivan very worried. Koda protect," he argued stubbornly. He tried to reach toward her gently.

 _"Dear Lady Daphne, allow me to see you home safely," Lygus said with a concerned expression on his face as he reached toward her._

 _"That is not necessary, Lygus," Daphne replied politely._

 _"My lady, forgive me... There are new bruises today," he said softly. "And scratches on your arms... Some appear to be quite deep."_

 _Daphne knew he was trying to hide the anger he felt at seeing her so injured. Zell had been very angry with her the night before. He'd acted like everything was fine, but when he'd escalated things to an intimate level, he'd been rough to the point of it becoming violent. He'd only eased up on her as he realized Daphne was crying silently from pain. He'd stopped then and acted like the loving man everyone thought he was, comforting her before leaving her to rest. She was still barely able to walk. Everything hurt._

 _"All is well, Ly," she insisted. "Do not worry for me."_

 _"I_ always _worry for you, Lady Daphne," Lygus replied. "Please, allow me to escort you home."_

 _Daphne knew Zell would only grow angrier if she showed up with another man. He_ barely _tolerated Lido being around her, and right now, even her spending time with_ him _had angered Zell. That was why he'd been so rough with her. If he reacted like that to Lido, bringing Lygus around him would be worse. Zell seemed to be almost irrationally jealous of Lygus._

 _Daphne clutched the dinner ingredients she had picked up. "I must hurry home, Lygus. Thank you for your concern, but all is well."_

 _"Lady Daphne..." Lygus said as she was about to hurry off. She hesitated, turning around to face him. "Goodbye, Daphne... Be careful."_

 _"Of course. I shall see you soon, Lygus," she replied sweetly before rushing home._

That was the last time Daphne had seen Lygus. The next thing Andie saw was different. _Daphne was older now._ She _stood beside an enormous abyss. She could feel something stirring from inside. Kneeling beside the abyss, Daphne realized she recognized the energy._

 _"Lygus?" She whispered in horror. She had searched for him often since he'd vanished. While Zell insisted Lygus had simply fled Eltar to start a life away from the stigma of his tragic family history, Daphne never fully believed it. She missed Lygus terribly, but she couldn't admit that to Zell. When Zell saw how upset she was as she sensed Lygus was not as safe as Zell claimed, he promised to search for him. He claimed he never found him._

 _"Is this what became of you? Did you get caught by an abyss Alaurys made by accident? I know he would not have caused you deliberate harm... Oh, Lygus... Please, do not let it be true," Daphne said softly. "Please be safe..."_

 _She closed her eyes and touched the edge of the abyss. Suddenly, Daphne could feel the truth. Lygus had perished in that very spot the same day she'd last seen him... And it had_ not _been an accident._

"Lygus... I'm _so_ sorry..." Andie whispered as tears began streaming down her cheeks.

"Andie..." Lido said gently, making her realize he was holding her. Koda stood a few feet away, giving them privacy but not leaving.

"It was my fault..." Andie whispered.

"What was?" Lido asked. He began applying one of his herbal gels to the wound on her head gently.

"Lygus... He... He killed him for trying to help me..."

"Andie, whatever Zell did, it wasn't your fault," Lido insisted.

She looked into his eyes and couldn't fight anymore. Andie had barely been clinging to control of her body, but she fell away completely now. "I'm not Andie..." She said softly before leaning her head against his chest.

"Daphne..." Lido whispered. He held her a bit closer, trying to soothe her. "Lygus was a good man."

"He was barely _nineteen,_ Lido... And he was determined to protect me, even though I insisted I was safe and that nothing was wrong... I was frightened, Lido... And I thought I deserved Zell's anger when I upset him. I was only fifteen... And other than you and Lygus and occasionally Laby, I was basically alone in the world. My parents wanted me with Zell. The entire _planet_ swore I was the luckiest girl in the universe because he chose me as his lover. I didn't know what to do... But Lygus saw through my excuses. He knew Zell wasn't hurting me by _accident._ He swore he would protect me... And then, he just _vanished_. I finally figured it out when Zordon was six."

"Daphne... Is _that_ why you were considering running?" Lido asked in surprise.

"He _killed him,_ Lido... He killed _Lygus..."_ She was shaking in his arms. "All because Ly loved me and wanted to protect me. I knew then we would never be safe... I was afraid for Zordon... So I went to you that day... I didn't know that Zell had already made up his mind about me... I was already out of time. I think Lygus helped me find the abyss where he perished so he'd be able to warn me, but it was too late."

"Daphne... I wish more than anything that I had taken you with me on my journey after you came to me," Lido said sadly.

"We both thought there was time..." She wrapped her arms around him. "I never blamed you, Lido. I know you tried to get back to me before it was too late."

"How did you recover this memory? What sparked it?" Lido asked.

"Trerry," Daphne replied with a sad smile. "He spotted Lygus... He's _here,_ Lido... And Trerry blurted out his name without stopping to think."

"Damn him and his big mouth," Lido said, shaking his head. "Wait... Lygus is _here?_ As in-"

"He has reincarnated."

Lido suddenly widened his eyes in surprise. "Sir Ivan... Of _course._ He is so much like Lygus... How could I have missed it?" He wondered aloud.

"He _has_ to stay away from me, Lido... Zell's more determined than ever to destroy him... I _can't_ be the reason he kills him again. _I_ got Lygus killed... I won't let Ivan meet the same fate."

"Daphne... Ivan and Andie are in love. You cannot allow this memory to keep them apart."

"It is _because_ she loves him that he must stay away... It is the only way to protect him."

"I know you're afraid, Daphne... However, Sir Ivan has stood by Andie through much turmoil. I cannot see this being any different. Their love makes them stronger against Zell."'

"How can I face him, Lido?" She shook her head. "His only crime was caring for me."

"Start by giving Andie control again," Lido said gently. "It means much for me to see you, Daphne, but it is Andie who must come to terms with this truth."

Daphne stood on the tips of her toes. Lido bent down a bit, because she still wasn't tall enough to reach his face. She kissed his cheek. "I love you, Lido," she told him.

"I love you, too..." He replied softly.

Andie regained control of her body. "Do you still wish to leave Sir Ivan?" Lido asked.

"I need time," Andie replied. "I love Ivan... But I need to process this. Can I stay with you tonight?"

"Of course. A'Vah will be happy to see you. I left her in Zuzu's care when I sensed your distress. He will alert me if there are any issues."

Normally, Andie would have objected to using a bird as a babysitter, but she knew Aviaries were different from others. A'Vah would be safe in the care of the bird.

"Koda come too," Koda said firmly. "Protect."

"Very well, Koda," Lido replied. "You may join us."

They reached Lido's hut soon after. A'Vah ran into his arms. She paused when she noticed Andie and smiled. "An-dee!" She said in delight. Then, she noticed something. She pointed at the tears staining her cheeks. "Sad..." She said with a frown.

"I'm okay, A'Vah," Andie said quickly.

"No... _Sad._ Hug?" She opened her arms.

Andie pulled the girl closer and hugged her. "You taught her to say hug?" She asked Lido,

"It was one of the first words Daphne taught me," Lido replied softly. "It seemed... Appropriate."

"It's sweet," Andie reassured him.

"Andie..." A'Vah said without hesitating so much this time. "Tuti!" Excited, she pointed to a beautiful bird.

"I'm glad you found him, sweetie," Andie said with a genuine smile.

A'Vah looked at Koda curiously. "A'Vah," she said, tapping her chest. "Tuti," she added, pointing to the bird.

Koda smiled. "Koda," he replied.

"Koda, can you keep A'Vah occupied while I tend to Andie's wounds properly?" Lido asked.

The caveman looked thrilled with his new assignment. "Yes," Koda replied. He immediately began to play with A'Vah.

Andie remembered that Koda had once had a younger brother. _He's great with kids,_ she thought.

"This may sting at first," Lido said before applying a new ointment to Andie's head.

"It's not so bad," Andie replied. The pain of a possible concussion she could handle. The pain in her heart was another story.

 _Daphne loved Lygus as a friend and a protector,_ she thought. _If Zell hadn't gotten in the way, I think she would have loved him as more than that... And Lido's right. Ivan is_ exactly _like Lygus. I have to protect him... But is pushing him away the right answer?_

She sighed, pushing the thought aside. She would rest and process things before she made any decisions.

 _ **SAKURA**_  
She had been a _very_ busy soul reaper. Upon learning that a monster who should have died long ago was messing around in the world of the living, resurrecting people who were meant to remain dead, and crossing into realms he didn't belong in, she'd decided to step in. Now, she stood in the town of Stone Hollow, watching the three souls who remained at the site of a bloodbath. Everyone else had been consumed by Zell like he was some sort of hollow.

She spotted the man she was looking for. "Hello, Raffitty," she said.

Raffitty looked up in surprise. "You can see me?" He asked.

"I'm a soul reaper, Raffitty. My name is Sakura. I've come to make you an offer."

"An offer?" He repeated.

"You made a lot of mistakes while you were alive, but I know you were a good man. You were driven mad, Raffitty. Felina was exposing you to _vizu_ regularly."

He stared at her. "Felina would _never_ risk that. Not after Jaybert."

"It was on Zell's order."

Raffitty sighed. "Felina has such potential... As much as we clashed, she is extraordinary. I will never understand why she remains loyal to him."

"Raffitty... I know you want to make up for the things you've done. Zell has completely tipped the balance of this fight, bringing back dead, evil Eltarians. Now, I want to tip them back. One force of good was already resurrected by Sage Park... I can't tell you who it was because she's still waiting to reveal herself, but I have decided to bring back a few others. I've put a lot of thought into it... It's clear Zell wants you back. He wants to control you and use you as his own personal battery... But if _I_ resurrect you, Zell won't be able to touch your energy or your powers. You had Logan kill you to keep Zell from using you and possibly destroying the world. That shows me that the man everyone says you were is still _very much_ inside of you. It was selfless."

"It _wasn't_ selfless. I didn't want to live like that. It would have been torture."

"You and I _both_ know it wasn't just that. The idea of Zell gaining that much power scared the hell out of you. You knew he'd hurt every innocent person he came across. You wanted to prevent that, even if it meant dying. That's why you took the risk of stealing his book of prophecies and getting it to Captain Smith. I believe you want to do the right thing, Raffitty. _This_ is your chance."

"After everything I did, I don't _deserve_ it."

"What happened wasn't your fault. Your mind cleared upon your death, and I can keep it that way."

"Why me, Sakura? There are a _lot_ of good Eltarians who died at his hands or because of something connected to him."

"He wants you back. I say we grant his wish... I think it would be a massive blow if I brought you back and prevented him from controlling you." She paused. "I believe you got screwed, Raffitty. And I believe you deserve a chance to make things right."

He hesitated. "Zydia and Tegus are here. They're stuck. Tegus is on a loop of his death... He's a sitting duck if Zell wants to consume his life force. He's one of _mine._ I recruited him myself. I failed him... I nearly killed his son... He's a good man. I owe it to him to protect him."

"I can free him from the loop. As a soul reaper, I can help him move on. He'll find peace and be safe from Zell."

"Zydia won't leave. She's claimed this place as her own and will go down protecting it. Besides... Zell killed her younger brother. She wants revenge." He shook his head. "Zydia's a pain in my ass, but I respect the hell out of her for how much she's accomplished... And Garron would want me to protect her, even if Zydia swears she doesn't need or want protection. She's stubborn, but Zell's powerful. Tough or not, even Zydia can only fight so much before he destroys her. Besides... I owe it to Rupi. His sister meant _everything_ to him."

"Maybe I can reason with her."

Raffitty laughed. "Good luck with that."

"Just think about my offer, and I'll do my best to help your friends."

Raffitty faded away with a sad nod of his head, so Sakura went in search of Zydia. She had a feeling she'd be harder to work with than poor, traumatized Tegus.

Zydia sat on the top of a hill overlooking the entire base. She was surrounded by weapons. Sakura wondered how the spirit had gathered them all. She could tell the weapons comforted Zydia.

"Zydia?" She called gently.

Zydia didn't even look up as she sent a sword flying at Sakura. The soul reaper easily dodged the attack. Zydia turned to her and frowned.

"Who are you and what do you want?" She demanded.

"My name is Sakura. I'm a soul reaper," Sakura began.

"I'm _not_ crossing over, so don't ask."

"Zydia, you're in danger. I can feel how many souls Zell absorbed to regain his strength. There are only three of you here now."

" _Let_ that bastard come for me. He'll regret it."

"Hear me out... I'm going to take Raffitty away from here. He's worried about leaving you behind. He's afraid Zell will destroy you."

Zydia paused. "Raff _actually_ cares? Who knew?" She shrugged. "I'll be fine. I don't need him. I don't need _anyone."_

Sakura read Zydia's energy to help figure out her story. "You _do_ need someone. You may be coldhearted, but you still have the capacity to care for some people. As much as you clashed with Garron, he became like a father to you after you joined the Rebellion."

"He became like a condescending _asshole_ to me, _not_ a father. I don't _need_ a father. Mine's been dead for a _long_ time."

"He genuinely cared for you, even if he seemed like a jerk at times. And you cared about him... Which is why you panicked when he died."

"First of all, I _didn't_ panic. I wisely chose to get the fuck out of here when the fucking Power Rangers managed to strip all of his spells and his immortality off of him with a fucking _puddle._ That was pretty damn shocking and told me I was screwed if I stuck around." She paused, seeing the skeptical look in Sakura's eyes. "Okay, fine, _maybe_ watching Garron, who I'd known since I was a teenager, get killed like it was the easiest shit in the world upset me a _little_. He was an ass, but he was also my mentor. I respected him." She shrugged. "It's not like it helped. The kids killed _my_ mentor and _their_ mentors killed me."

"Garron's not the only one you cared about... You loved your brother."

"Love is _weakness_. I didn't love him. But I _had_ to protect him. Rupi was a sweet, cuddly little six-year-old kid when our parents were killed. The world would have eaten him alive... So at sixteen, I raised him, and I kept him safe, and I taught him to be strong. I built myself into a soldier and found Garron and Vitella and joined the Rebellion, and I brought the kid with me. And from there, I didn't let anything stop me from rising in rank. Garron automatically said I'd never rise above a Lieutenant because I was a woman, but I said _fuck_ that shit, I was _born_ to lead. I proved him wrong and became the first female Captain of the Rebellion. I took Rupi with me as my tactical expert... As gentle as he was, he had our father's gift for making weapons from the time he was little. And Garron assigned Murgano and Letez to me, neither of which viewed my gender as a reason not to serve beneath me. The rest is history."

"You miss them... Your Chapter."

"They were dumb enough to brag after I had them kill the kids. Marinessa took them out. They should have remembered their stealth training. They deserved what they got for being fools."

Sakura paused. "I _know_ you weren't always like this, Zydia. How did you go from fighting for justice to slaughtering innocent kids?"

Zydia shrugged. "The Eltarian government slaughtered innocents with weapons _my father_ made for them in good faith. He spoke out against the actions of the government after learning women and children died in that attack. My mother went with my father to confront the Mayor because she loved him and promised to stand by his side to the end... And that _bastard_ , Mayor Freyst, had my parents executed for it. See? Love _is_ weakness. It got my mother killed. They made us attend... I shielded Rupi's eyes... He was just a baby. I couldn't let him watch that... But I watched them decapitate our parents just because they'd taken a stand and tried to do the right thing." She paused. "Much later, I infiltrated the government by seducing the Prime Minister himself. I thought he might be a good man... I was foolish and let down my guard because he was pleasant to look at and I grew to enjoy talking to him... But he was no better than the rest of them."

"Did Rey do something to you?"

"It's what he _didn't_ do. When a piece of shit sold me out and blew my cover to try and save himself from Treason charges, Rey didn't stop them from arresting me. Were the charges true? Yes... But he didn't even _ask_ for my side of things. He told me he loved me, but he never cared about me."

"You fell in love with him..." Sakura realized in surprise.

"A lot of good it did. I was _weak._ I was a fool to trust him. My heart _actually_ hurt... I hadn't let anyone in for so long but I trusted him... I became everything I hate. So I basically begged the universe to turn my heart colder and take the pain... To prevent me from ever being that weak again. When Rey _finally_ came to ask for my side of the story, I was filled with nothing but hate. I told him he was just my assignment and that none if it had been real."

Sakura suddenly understood Zydia on a new level. "Zydia... Someone heard your plea and did it... They turned you cold and took away your ability to love... And I'd bet _anything_ that it was Zell."

"Zell was long-dead before I was even born."

"He journeys through time. He must have seen something in you he wanted to manipulate."

Zydia looked furious as realization dawned on her. "That _asshole!"_ She shouted. "I'm _no one's_ fucking puppet!" Some of her weapons launched into the air. Sakura had no doubt they'd find their way to Zell.

"Zydia, you don't have to cross over, but please leave this place. You're in danger," Sakura said again.

"I can't."

"If it's because you're stuck, I can help."

"It's more than that. I heard him talking to his little Sorceress... My daughter is involved in this. She joined the Alliance, probably to take it down from the inside. I don't love Zizanyah. I can't love _anyone..._ But I'm quite proud of her and I won't abandon her now. I need to watch over her. Zizi is good at what she does... She is _mine,_ after all... But if Zell figures out the truth..."

"What truth? That she's a spy?" Sakura asked.

Zydia sighed. "No," she said. "That she's _related_ to him."

Sakura suddenly understood. "She's Rey's?"

"She's _mine._ Rey just donated some DNA I never asked for." She shook her head. "I never told _anyone_ except Rupi... Zizi doesn't know who her father is... She's in incredible danger."

Sakura realized that on some level, Zydia did care about her daughter. "Okay... You can stay close, just not on the property. I'll hide your energy."

Zydia nodded. "Deal. What about Tegus? He's annoying since getting stuck in his death loop, but I can't just abandon the guy. He was a loyal member of the Rebellion and a pretty decent person. Besides... He's the only one left besides Raff."

"I can help him. Tegus will be an easy fix."

"Okay. Say, Sakura... What's your plan in all this?"

Sakura smiled mysteriously. "I'm going to do something Zell believes is impossible... And it's going to tip the scales significantly."

"By bringing Raff back?" Zydia guessed.

"That, too," Sakura admitted. "But what I'm talking about is going to shake Zell up a _lot_ more than that will."

"Intriguing," Zydia said. "If it fucks with Zell, I'm all for it. Good luck."

"You, too, Zydia." Sakura headed for Tegus, knowing she needed to get him to safety before Zell could hurt him.

Tegus sat moaning one word over and over again. "Vancello..."

Sakura's heart broke for the lost soul. "Tegus... Vancello is safe," she said soothingly. She began trying to pull information from the air about what had happened to the son he cried for.

Tegus didn't seem to hear her. She gently touched him. This snapped him out of his loop for an instant, which was the only opening she needed. "Vancello is _safe_. He lives with Scott now. He misses you, Tegus, but he's happy with his love."

Tegus looked at her sadly. "Vancello is alive?" He asked.

"He's alive. He made it out of here safely. You saved him, Tegus," Sakura assured him.

Tegus cried with relief. "My boy..." He said softly.

"He's going to be alright now... It's time for you to leave this place, Tegus. It's time to be at peace."

A woman appeared beside him. "My love..." She whispered. Sakura knew this had been his wife.

He began to weep. "My beloved... You're here," he whispered.

"I have been with you this entire time. Come with me, Tegus. It's time."

Sakura watched as Tegus followed his wife to the other side. She smiled to herself, genuinely happy to see the look of peace on his face as he vanished.

"Okay," Raffitty said suddenly.

Sakura spun around to look at him. "Okay?" She repeated.

"If you can get permission from three people, and you guarantee my ability to keep a clear mind, I'll let you resurrect me."

"Which three?"

"Insu and Allie, for starters... After everything I put them through, I refuse to come back if it will hurt them further."

"I think they'll agree if they know you genuinely want to be the good man you were meant to be. I'll talk to them."

He nodded. "And Logan."

"Logan feels guilty for having to kill you. He would probably be thrilled if you were alive again."

"I care for that boy... I loved him, even if I never said as much. It's true I wanted to destroy him when I found out he would be the one who could kill me... But then I _met_ him. He was a terrified, traumatized kid with a very evil father. I understood him, and I wanted to save him from all of that. I wanted to be the father he deserved. I have no children of my own... I raised Insu and, by default, Allie, but that was as an uncle figure. It was different with Logan. We were the same in a way... I hate that I let Felina torture him to keep him under our control... I shouldn't have. He had been through enough. I told myself I was protecting him from a worse fate. And still, he remained loyal to me. Even after he knew the truth, when I asked him to kill me, he didn't want to. I hated having to do that to him, but it was the _only_ way. Anyone else could have literally cut off my head and it would have reattached itself. Not even _Lido_ could kill me. The powers I'd collected protected me." He sighed. "I won't come back if it will traumatize that boy. I refuse."

Sakura nodded. "I can respect that. Look, Tegus is gone, and Zydia is going to leave for slightly safer ground. Go with her for now. I have a couple of big things I need to do... I'll come find you after I speak to the people you listed, but at least you'll be safe until then."

"Alright. Thank you, Sakura," Raffitty said. "And... If they tell you not to bring me back... Please let them know how sorry I am."

"I will," she promised. She left Stone Hollow to return to the Soul Society. Sakura had two very crazy plans to set in motion, and at least one of them might be impossible, but she _had_ to try. If it worked, she'd be giving Zell's enemies a secret weapon he would _never_ see coming.

 _ **THE NEXT DAY.**_

 _ **IMANI**_  
She was glad school was over for the day. Imani had been getting pretty bored in class. As she waited outside for Tessa, Vinny stayed with her. Imani was _totally_ fine with that.

Vinny smiled as Imani talked his ear off. He didn't say much, but she knew he was listening closely and waiting for the right moment to join in. Vinny was a quiet kid, but at least he was speaking again. It had made Imani sad when he'd stopped talking after he lost his mom. Only when she'd lost hers did Vinny start trying to talk again, if only to make her feel better.

Vinny offered her some candy, which she happily accepted. Imani _loved_ sugar, and Tia rarely let her have any. It _may_ have been because Imani was hyper enough _without_ sugar, but Imani still thought it was unfair.

Tessa and Luke came toward them. "Come on, Vin. We need to hurry if we're going to make it to the exhibit," Luke said.

"Exhibit?" Imani asked.

"Troy is taking me and Luke to a science exhibit," Vinny explained shyly. "We're meeting him at our house. He came over to watch Robby while we were at school so Dad could still go to work.."

"How come Robby's not at school?" Imani asked.

"The Robby Monster has a stomach bug," Luke explained. "He was up puking all night. Ollie's going straight home to watch him so Troy can still take us to the exhibit."

"Poor Monster," Imani said sympathetically.

"Bye, Mani," Vinny said shyly. Imani kissed his cheek. He blushed, which made her giggle.

"Bye, Tessa," Luke said, giving her a hug.

"See you later," Tessa replied softly.

Imani took Tessa's arm. "Let's go," she said after the boys had left. She began leading the way home.

Someone approached them cautiously. The scar over his eye was kind of scary, but Imani had been taught never to judge people by their appearance. "Tessa and Mani Campbell?" He asked cheerfully.

The people who knew Imani best all called her Mani, but she did not know this man. "Yes," she replied in confusion.

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Jezzeff, but you may call me Jezz. I'm a friend of Kizzie's," he said.

"You're Eltarian," Imani realized. She thought Kizzie was possibly the coolest person she'd _ever_ met, so she let her guard down slightly. "Are you one of the Rebels?"

"I am. I came here to protect you. The Great Wizard is nearly recovered and Captain Smith saw that you were in danger and requested my help."

Tessa tensed at those scary words. Imani knew she shouldn't trust strangers, but something about this man was very reassuring. "Can you prove you're one of them?" She asked.

He smiled charmingly. "Certainly. _Bizzeh mada alebastes!"_ He recited the mantra perfectly.

Imani nodded. "So... The bad man who rides on storms is coming?" She asked.

"Yes, but don't worry... I can protect you."

She believed him. "Okay. What do we have to do?"

"Come with me and I'll bring you home."

Tessa clung to Imani's hand. "Mani... We should call Aunt Tanya," she said nervously.

Imani considered this. "You're right," she agreed.

"Of course, Girls. Go ahead and call her if you feel you should. It's wise to be cautious of strangers," Jezzeff said pleasantly.

Imani pulled out her cell phone. That was when she noticed a text from Tanya. _Kizzie told me she's sending someone to keep you girls safe. I'll see you tonight. Love you!_

"We can trust him," Imani told Tessa, showing her the text.

Tessa nodded. Still arm-in-arm, the sisters followed Jezzeff. He touched something in the air and a portal sprang to life. Imani grinned. She _loved_ traveling by portal. She quickly led Tessa through. Jezzeff followed behind them, quickly sealing the portal as they arrived in a dark house.

"Mani... Where _are_ we?" Tessa whispered.

"You _said_ you were bringing us home," Imani said.

"I never said _whose_ home," Jezzeff replied pleasantly. "Goodbye, Girls." He vanished.

"Mani, I'm _scared,"_ Tessa told her.

Imani was scared, too, but she forced herself to be brave. "We'll be okay, Tessie," she promised her sister. She reached into her backpack. _It's still here,_ she thought with relief as her hands clasped around Vinny's present.

The worst thing possible happened next. A powerful man whose energy she recognized entered the room. "Hello, my dears," he said pleasantly.

Tessa bravely tried to stand in front of Imani. "I... I know who you are," she said. Imani was stunned at this courageous new side of her.

"Do not be frightened, my dear Tessa. I have not come to cause you harm," he said soothingly. "I simply have need of your power."

"My power?" Tessa repeated.

"Yes. I am nearly healed... However, I require something _you_ can grant me." He grabbed her and kissed her before Imani could react.

Tessa visibly panicked. Imani realized Zell was draining the energy her sister had gained as a succubus. She pulled out Vinny's present and pointed the blinding light straight at Zell. He screamed in both shock and pain and dropped Tessa onto the floor. "Tessa, _run!"_ Imani shouted. "Get out of here and find Tia!"

Tessa was clearly too weak to run away. She couldn't stand up. Imani felt out for the energy of any animals nearby, but she couldn't sense a single one. As Zell furiously came toward her, she closed her eyes and desperately thought, _Portal... Portal, portal, portal!_ None appeared, but Imani hoped she'd at least trigger Tia's awareness with her attempt.

Zell knocked Vinny's present away from her. The light illuminated one of the walls. Zell grabbed her arm very firmly and asked, "Now, was that _truly_ necessary, my dear?"

"Yes," Imani said. She kicked him right in his crotch, making him release her in pain. "And so was _that!"_

Zell recovered quickly. He put a sword to her throat and said, "The plan shall still succeed with one... What is one less Campbell?" He drew a little blood, but suddenly, Tessa shocked both Zell and Imani by grabbing his arm. She kissed his hand, refusing to let go. Although he was much stronger physically, Zell couldn't seem to move his hand away from her.

Zell was clearly startled. "I did not think you possessed such a fighting spirit," he said. "You _are_ Zedd's daughter." With that, he made fire appear. This startled Tessa enough that she lost her hold on him. Zell promptly shoved her into the fire.

"Tessa!" Imani screamed.

Tessa looked panicked, but nothing seemed to be happening. "How interesting..." Zell mumbled. "I _was_ curious if the magic of the flames passed on to children born to one who was turned. Congratulations, my dear. I cannot turn you evil." He grabbed Tessa and pulled her out of the flames before slamming her head into the illuminated wall. She collapsed.

"You _jerk!"_ Imani shouted. She grabbed Vinny's present, but Zell didn't fall for that twice and avoided looking at the light. Imani knew she was in trouble when he looked at her with a creepy smile on his face.

Just as Zell was about to reach her, a portal opened up. "Get _away_ from them!" Liza shouted.

"Ah... Liza, my dear... Welcome," Zell said.

"I got your message, Asshole," Liza said as she moved between Imani and Zell.

"I _thought_ you might."

"Liza? What's he talking about?" Imani asked.

"He made it clear he'd taken you and only _I_ could portal to your location. You got me here, Zell. Now what the fuck do you want?" Liza demanded.

"You are _so_ like her, my dear," Zell said creepily.

"Look... Let me heal the kids and we can talk," Liza said.

"I don't like that plan." He vanished and reappeared behind the still-unconscious Tessa. He cut her throat enough to draw an alarming amount of blood.

"Stop!" Liza cried, her cool demeanor shattering as Tessa's blood spilled onto the floor. "Just... Let them go," she added softly.

Zell pulled the blade away from Tessa. "I'm listening, my dear," Zell said.

"Let me heal them and let them go... It's _me_ you're after. Make an unbreakable oath to me that you won't hurt them, and I'll surrender."

"Liza, _no!"_ Imani shouted.

"I _have_ to, Mani," Liza said. "It's alright. I'll be okay."

Zell nodded. He sliced his hand open and used his blood to draw a strange symbol in the air. "You have my unbreakable oath, I shall not harm Imani or Tessa," he said.

Imani could feel the magic in the air as the oath was sealed. "You may heal the children," Zell told Liza.

Since Tessa was in worse shape, Liza healed her first. Much to Imani's relief, Tessa opened her eyes and looked mostly okay. Liza knelt beside Imani and quickly healed her as well. She hugged both of her sisters before looking into Imani's eyes.

"Get to Tia," Liza said. "She'll keep you guys safe."

"We can't leave you, Liza!" Imani protested.

"Be strong, Mani. Please?"

Imani sighed, then nodded. She took Tessa's hand and fled through the portal that opened. As she did, she heard Zell say something that absolutely terrified her as the portal sealed shut behind them.

"Oh, Liza..." Zell said creepily. "You have _no_ idea how long I have waited for this day to arrive."

 _ **TIA**_  
It was nothing short of alarming to see Imani and Tessa come running toward her. Both girls were in tears. Tessa cried easily at times, but Imani did not. Tia knew something must be _seriously_ wrong.

"What happened?" Tia asked.

Imani flung herself into Tia's arms and began sobbing harder. "It's _my_ fault! I trusted him!" She cried.

"Trusted _who,_ Mani? Tell me what's going on," Tia said.

"He's _got_ her, Tia!" Imani managed to say between sobs.

"Got _who?"_ Tia asked.

"Liza," Tessa said softly. "He's got _Liza."_

Tia felt like she couldn't breathe. "Zell has Liza?" She asked, just to make sure it was as bad as she thought and it wasn't just one of his minions.

Tessa nodded sadly. "The man, Jezzeff... He told us he was a friend of Kizzie's and that he'd come to protect us. I said we should call Aunt Tanya, but Mani found a text from her saying he was coming to help."

"Mani, let me see your phone," Tia said.

Imani handed it over as she sniffled. Tia examined it. "There is no text here... It must have been an illusion spell," Tia realized. "Girls, this _isn't_ your fault. Tell me what else happened. How did Zell get to Liza?"

"Jezzeff brought us to him... He wanted my energy, so he..." Tessa stared at her feet. Tia, having been through a sexual assault herself knew the signs of trauma.

"Did that _monster_ touch you?" Tia demanded.

"He just kissed me," Tessa explained quickly.

"That's not acceptable either." Tia struggled to keep her voice even and not yell, knowing how much anger frightened Tessa.

"It was scary... And I got really weak, but it also connected me to his energy... Mani used Vinny's gift to blind him and even kicked him in... Well..." Tessa blushed.

Tia realized what Tessa had avoided saying and looked at Imani with pride. "Good girl, Mani," she said.

"He hurt my _sister_ ," Imani said softly.

"He was gonna hurt Mani, so I used what he did against him... I connected right to his energy by kissing his hand and took back what he took from me, and then took a little more... I remembered what Taylor did and thought maybe I could hurt him, too, but I'm not as strong... Then he called up the fire, and I got scared and he got away from me... And he tossed me in..." She started crying.

Tia was horrified, but Tessa didn't seem evil. "It didn't work?" She asked as she held Tessa protectively. Tessa shook her head. Suddenly, Tia understood. " _Zedd_... Your father still had the flames in him when you were all born. The flames are already inside of you, so you're immune to their effects..."

"He knocked her out after that," Imani said softly. "I think he was going to kill us both, but then, Liza came. He'd made sure she knew she was our only chance..." She sniffled again. "She made a _deal,_ Tia! She made him promise with magic he wouldn't hurt us again and that she could heal us, and she _traded_ herself for us! She made us leave, and now he's got her, and it's _all_ our fault!" She became hysterical again.

"Imani, _listen_ to me. Zell manipulates people... Including people _far_ older than the two of you. This is _not_ your fault. Liza was being a good big sister and protecting you... Now, I'm going to make sure we get her back." She opened a portal and pulled her little sisters through it, bringing them to Sellie.

"Tia? What's going on?" Sellie asked.

"I'm sorry, but there is an emergency. Can you watch the girls? They have been through a trauma, and I don't want to leave them, but they're safe... Liza isn't," Tia said.

"Of course I'll take care of them... What happened?" Sellie asked.

"Zell kidnapped them... And lured Liza straight into a trap knowing she'd have no choice but to trade herself for them."

"Oh, shit... Can I do anything else to help?"

"Just keep them safe. Call Tanya and tell her what's happened. I must get my team and get my sister back."

"Good luck. Be safe," Sellie said, giving Tia a hug. Tia nodded before opening another portal and heading straight to Taylor. He wasn't alone. Josh looked at her in concern as she approached them.

"What's wrong?" Taylor asked as he saw the look on her face.

"Zell has Liza," Tia said because there was no gentle way to break that news.

"What? He'll _kill_ her, Tia!" Taylor cried in alarm.

"He went for the little ones... She traded herself to protect them."

"He went after Mani and Tessa?" Josh asked in horror. "Are they okay?"

"They're traumatized, but safe."

"Let's go," Taylor said.

"I'm coming," Josh said firmly.

"Josh, it's too dangerous," Taylor protested.

"Liza's part of my _team,_ Taylor," Josh replied. "We're going to help."

"Josh is right," Tia said with a sigh. "We aren't the only ones connected to Liza. She's part of the Legacy team, and she may need their strength to survive this. Besides, we cannot run in blind. We need a plan. Let's go to the Command Center and speak to Zordon. Our teams can meet us there."

"You two go. I'll meet you," Taylor said.

"Taylor, we need to be united right now," Tia protested.

"Tia... _Someone_ needs to tell my dad," Taylor pointed out.

"He'll be furious... What if he accidentally hurts you?" Josh asked.

"Josh... I can handle my dad. I'm probably the only person besides Zordon who can deliver this news and live to talk about it. He won't hurt me. Go. Tell your team what happened. There's no time to waste." He kissed Josh quickly before walking away.

"Alphas... Bring me and Tia to the Command Center and call our teams in," Josh said after a moment. "It's _urgent."_

Tia took a deep breath as they arrived at the Command Center. The others arrived quickly. "Perfect timing! Detention just ended," Zeke said cheerfully. Then, he saw Josh and Tia's faces. "What's wrong?" He asked seriously, flipping the switch almost as well as Ollie usually did.

"Zell has Liza," Tia said.

Zordon's face turned unreadable, but Tia could sense how much her words had terrified him. He remained silent as everyone else reacted.

Brian visibly paled. "Oh my God..." He said softly.

"What?!" Micky demanded. He stared at Tia in disbelief.

"Shit," Zeke said.

"Son of a _bitch..."_ Sage mumbled.

"As you all know, he _especially_ hates my sister because she reminds him so much of Galaxia. We _have_ to get her back," Tia said.

"Where's Taylor?" Angie asked.

"He went to inform Zedd of the situation," Josh replied.

"Brave kid..." Tommy mumbled.

"This is _bad,"_ Ollie said. "Liza runs her mouth. Zell will run out of patience _fast_."

"We'll get her back," Tammy said firmly. "Liza's not some pushover. She can handle this."

"Guys, Ollie's right... Liza will push him," Micky said numbly. "Why are we still standing here? We _need_ to go after her."

"We need a _plan,_ Micky," Tommy said.

"There's no _time_ to come up with a plan! That _maniac_ has _Liza!"_ Micky argued.

"Look, we're _all_ worried about Liza, but we'll get her back, Micky. We just need to be smart about it. Running into a trap won't help _anyone."_

Micky looked absolutely furious as well as devastated. Knowing what the boy meant to Liza, Tia gently said, "My sister is strong, Micky. She will hold on until we can find her. Have faith in her."

"I _do,"_ Micky replied. "I also know the sort of things she went through before she got here. I can't let Liza get hurt again."

Tia nodded. "We will bring her home soon," she said.

"Rangers... Chosen... You _must_ be cautious," Zordon said. "My father will be expecting you to try to rescue her. Liza's safety is a priority, of course, however I do not want him to get his hands on any of you either."

"He's still weak," Kenny said. "And the Alliance scattered when Scarlet brought down the base. That gives us an advantage."

"Do not count my father out," Zordon cautioned him. "Even when weakened, he has great power, and if he has abducted Liza of all people, he must be confident he is strong enough to handle her."

Suddenly, Caleb started staring off into space. His eyes were unfocused. Everyone knew what that meant, and they patiently waited to find out what he was seeing.

He snapped back to the present with a gasp. His skin had paled significantly and he looked terrified. "Caleb... What did you see?" Thorn asked gently.

"They're coming..." Caleb whispered.

" _Who's_ coming?" Ollie asked.

"The Alliance... They're coming back, bigger and stronger... He's calling them back together... There are more of them now... And there was blood... _So_ much blood... So many lives lost..."

Caleb was trembling violently. Thorn automatically wrapped him in his jacket. "It's okay," he said soothingly. "We'll stop them."

"There's a new base... And he's gathering them there... Liza's in one of the buildings, underground I think... She's... It was _bad,_ guys." Caleb had tears in his eyes.

Tia was terrified for her sister, but she forced herself to remain calm. "We'll save her," she said firmly. "No matter what it takes."

 _ **ZEDD**_  
He knew something was wrong. He could feel it in his chest. When Taylor showed up at the house, Zedd tried to brace himself for whatever news was coming.

"Dad... We need to talk," Taylor said.

"Of course," Zedd replied, leading Taylor to the couch. Sage had run off to the Command Center and Koda had yet to return home, so they were alone. "What's wrong?"

"Something happened, Dad... And you're going to freak out, but you sort of _can't_ because we might need your help... Okay?"

"Taylor, just _tell_ me," Zedd said urgently.

Taylor sighed. "They're safe now, but... Zell went after Mani and Tessa..."

Zedd was enraged as soon as he heard that, but he tried to cling to the fact that Taylor had said they were safe. "Were they hurt?" He asked. Tessa was his baby, the youngest and gentlest of his children, and he was rather fond of Imani as well. It was hard not to love that little girl.

"Yeah, I think so, but I didn't get too many details from Tia. They were healed... By _Liza,_ Dad."

Zedd tensed, already knowing where this was going. "Liza..." He repeated.

"Zell has her, Dad. She traded herself to save them."

A powerful blast of energy escaped from Zedd in his rage, but he was able to send it away from where Taylor was. It put a hole in the wall behind him. He sighed, magically patching it up before Sage could come home to the mess and get angry with him.

"Where is he hiding?" Zedd asked.

"I don't know. I'm pretty sure Mani and Tessa have no idea where they were." Taylor hesitated before gently touching Zedd's arm to try and soothe him. "We'll get her back, Dad. Zell can't handle Liza. She'll be okay."

Zedd wanted to believe him, but he'd honestly never been so terrified in his life. Zell had Liza... And Zedd knew _exactly_ what Zell was capable of doing to her.

 _I love you, Liza,_ he thought. _I'll find you. Don't give up. I'm coming._

He silently prayed he wouldn't be too late.

 _ **ZELL**_  
He'd spent a good chunk of the afternoon torturing Liza. It was the most incredible thing he'd felt in a long time. He'd wanted to do horrible things to Galaxia, but he'd known it wasn't possible. Getting to carry out his fantasies on her descendant was _beyond_ satisfying. He'd waited for _far_ too long, and the reward was a sweet one.

He'd left her bleeding and weak, but still capable of snarky comebacks. "I'll break you yet, my dear," he said to himself as he returned to the main building. He knew emotionally destroying Liza would be no easy task. He was looking forward to it. Currently, however, he had other business to attend to.

"Great Zell? What are you doing?" Shaniece asked.

"With your help, I have grown stronger, my dear. It is time to bring my Alliance back together. I have fixed up the underground base beneath this property which will allow us to resume our operations. Raffitty had quite a good setup here, even with the surface being half-destroyed. It shall do nicely for now," Zell explained. He closed his eyes and cast a spell to alert the members of his Alliance to his location.

"Be a dear and fetch Jezzeff for me," Zell said. "The others should begin arriving soon."

"Of course," Shaniece said. She hurried off to find Jezzeff. Zell had resurrected him at the same time he'd resurrected Bax, but no one had known. He'd instructed Jezzeff to hide until the time was right to reveal himself. He'd called him to the base in Stone Hollow ahead of the others because he knew Jezzeff's loyalty to him was unquestionable.

It wasn't long before they began to arrive via portal. Zell smiled at them, feeling stronger with each arrival. The Greeks arrived as a unit. He nodded at Niko, their leader, and ticked off the names of the others in his mind. _Phestian, Dezzanna, Tutto, Kiddius, Olito, Vretton, Leetik, and Calla, their healer,_ he reminded himself. Calla, their youngest member, had been born into the Rebellion and raised by the Greeks, who were friends of her executed parents.

He moved his eyes to those who had arrived with them. He was excessively pleased to see Baxzon and Zizanyah. They looked well enough, and he knew the Greeks had taken care of them in his absence. Lang, Lun, Nedezzo, and Brittera from Shanghai had also arrived with them.

"Great Zell! It is an honor," Brittera said. The Shanghai Rebels bowed to him respectfully. Nedezzo looked a bit hesitant, but he bowed as well.

 _I'll need to keep an eye on that one,_ Zell thought. _He remains uncertain of his loyalties._

"You look great," Zizi said. "We were worried."

"Thank you for your concern, Zizanyah. I assure you, I am well... Now... Welcome, my friends," Zell greeted the others pleasantly. He noticed that Bax was standing very close to Zizi, almost protectively. Zizi seemed to be tolerating this. _How unusual,_ he thought. _Did being on their own after nearly dying bond them somehow? Zizanyah_ despised _Baxzon before..._ He decided he'd need to look into that later.

"Great Zell... I'm very relieved to see you looking so strong," Bax said. He looked at Zell with both respect and fear in his eyes. His usual cocky confidence had vanished.

 _Zutan,_ Zell thought with relief. _The boy has_ finally _begun to awaken._ He smiled at Bax, deeply pleased one of his most loyal followers might finally prove to be useful again.

Arabella, Katrice, and Gabritto arrived next, pulling Zell out of his thoughts. They looked eager to see him. "Greetings, my dear Rebels from Rome!" He said pleasantly.

 _"Bonjourno,_ Great Zell," Arabella said respectfully. "We are pleased to be here."

Jaybert appeared, followed by Micah and Neighbelle. Zell frowned after a moment. "Where is Estos?" He asked.

"He perished, Great Zell. Marinessa delivered a killing blow," Neighbelle replied.

"How did he encounter the girl?" Zell asked.

"We saw an opportunity and attempted to abduct Neptune for you," Micah said, not meeting his eyes. "Neighbelle was able to short out his morpher, causing him to become confused and vulnerable to us. He attacked his team, even killing one of the boys... When we left, he was fatally wounded. Estos didn't make it through our portal in time, but we did escape with Neptune. Unfortunately, Neptune ultimately fled in his confused state, but his morpher is useless to him."

"I admire your attempt," Zell said instead of striking him dead for his failure. "It was a brave choice, however, I am not surprised you failed. Logan is no easy target. He possesses great power. Still, it seems the cursed morphers served their purpose." He paused. "Who did he kill?"

"The human boy," Neighbelle replied. "And he gravely wounded Vancello. He also attacked Alliandra, although I'm certain that did no real harm."

Zell reached out to check on the Ranger Guard's status. He could feel the morphers together in a sealed box. _Excellent,_ he thought. If Logan's morpher was truly as damaged as Micah claimed, there was little chance of it ever functioning properly again. He was counting on that. After all, Stone was still alive. The _last_ thing Zell wanted was to have to face Stone with even _more_ power than he'd been born with. Stone was a formidable enough opponent _without_ being a Power Ranger.

He realized quickly that Freddy was alive. "The boy lives," he mumbled. "I feel he perished, so one of the Mystics must have resurrected him after you left. Logan has returned to his friends, however, the damage is done. His confidence has been greatly shaken. This may yet prove to be a good thing for us."

As another portal opened, Hunter led several others into the house. Zell ticked them off in his mind. _Maya, Damon, and Riley... Everyone except Kendall,_ he thought.

"Great Zell..." Hunter said respectfully.

"Rangers of the Flame! I am so pleased to see you have survived," Zell said.

"Felina saved us," Riley said. "But her and Miss Morgan didn't make it out with us. We're not sure if they're alive."

"We come bearing a gift!" Damon said, cheerfully changing the subject. He motioned toward an unconscious man.

"This is the other member of our old team," Maya explained. "Kai."

Zell smiled. "Well _done,_ my dear! I fear we lost all of our captives when the base was destroyed."

As another portal opened, Zell heard, "Hello, Father."

He spun around and smiled pleasantly at Katherine. "Daughter! It does my heart good to see you. Were you hurt in the attack?" He asked.

"Not badly. I've mostly been laying low waiting to hear from you. I... I thought you might be..." She hesitated, showing the slightest bit of genuine emotion.

 _She cares,_ Zell thought in surprise. He'd been fairly certain Katherine was incapable of feeling genuine concern for others, but it seemed her time on Earth living the illusion he'd created had affected her more than he realized.

"It's alright, my dear," Zell said comfortingly. He pulled her into his arms, soothing her as he would a small child. He might view love as weakness, but he didn't mind that his daughter seemed to love him after all. He didn't love _her,_ but he appreciated her loyalty and valued her as his heir. She wasn't Zordon, but she was still of value to him.

 _It truly_ is _a shame my son lost his loyalty to me. Zordon made me_ very _proud. He still has_ such _potential,_ he thought. Zell was incapable of loving his children, but he was the most attached to Zordon. After all, the boy was his most powerful child, possibly only sharing that title with Anise, and more than that, he was Daphne's son. It truly annoyed Zell that he would have to kill the boy, but that wouldn't stop him from doing what he must. By taking a stand against him, Zordon had forced his hand.

The next portal that opened genuinely shocked Zell. As three men stepped through, he stared at them. "Maegus?" He finally acknowledged one of them in confusion.

"Hello, Zell," Maegus said pleasantly. "How have you been?"

Zell smiled then, a genuine grin as he realized who had returned to him. "I wasn't aware you, Grayzee, and Branz were on Earth. How incredibly wonderful it is to see you, my friends!"

"Great Zell!" Branz said cheerfully. "We _knew_ you'd rise again! What a glorious reunion!"

"We remain loyal, Great Zell," Grayzee added humbly.

Zell was truly happy to have them back at his side, especially Maegus. For a time, Maegus had helped mentor him. He'd been a bit like an older brother to Zell when he was still quite young. Maegus made a dangerous enemy, but he was an incredible ally.

"Wait... You guys work for the Great Wizard?" Niko asked in surprise. "You never told us."

"You never _asked_ , Lad!" Maegus said with a casual laugh.

"Besides," Branz added, "we really only saw you at parties. You threw some great ones, but that was hardly the time to bring it up."

"You _do_ love a good party," Dezzanna said with a smile.

"Of course we do. Why do you think we let Vitti put us in a Chapter with Tinny and Hezzo?" Maegus asked with a laugh.

"Good times," Grayzee said.

"The best," Branz agreed.

"Does your Chapter know you've defected?" Phestian asked.

"Why so suspicious, Phes? Still miffed Hezz turned your house into an ice castle?" Branz asked lightly.

"Maybe he's still upset about the time Tinny stole Niko's girlfriend," Grayzee suggested.

"Now, now, don't feel _bad_ , Lad," Maegus said to Niko. "Tinny's stolen women from the best of us."

Bax was smiling at this exchange. "Tinny is the _man,"_ he said. "And his parties are _epic."_

"That's actually why I was recruited to the original Alliance," Branz said with a laugh. "My old friend Zutan wanted to get into all the cool parties." He paused as he looked at Bax. "You know, you actually remind me of him a bit, Lad... Just more... _weasel_ -like."

Zizi snorted, then looked at Bax apologetically. She cleared her throat, still laughing a bit and said, "Sorry, Bax."

"Zizi, Lass, come here and give me a kiss!" Maegus said.

Zizi indulged him, kissing his cheek and repeating the behavior with Branz and Grayzee. "It's good to see you, Zizi," Grayzee said. "I was so sorry to hear about Zydia." He gave her a tight hug.

Zizi tensed. "Great Zell..." She said after a moment. "Where _are_ we?"

Zell realized she must have suddenly sensed the truth at the mention of her mother. "This is the former base of operations for the Stone Hollow Rebels," Zell admitted. "My apologies, Zizanyah. I did not think about how this place would affect you. That was insensitive of me. I should have warned you before bringing you here."

Zizi shrugged. "No big deal. Everyone knows my mother and I were not exactly _close_ ," Zizi replied. She seemed fine, but Zell could tell no matter what she said, it did upset her to be at the site of her mother's unfortunate demise.

Maegus put a comforting hand on Zizi's shoulder. He didn't say anything, but Zizi looked at him with obvious appreciation in her eyes.

They were interrupted as Jezzeff and Shaniece joined them. Bax tensed immediately and glared at Jezzeff. _They were close friends once,_ Zell thought. _Zutan must still be upset about the girl._ He watched Bax subtly make his way closer to where Zizi had moved.

 _I suppose he feels the need to protect her after she saved his life,_ Zell thought. There was only one other possibility, but it didn't make sense. _Surely_ Zizi wasn't Rosemary. The two were nothing alike. That girl had been gentle and naive. Zizi was neither. He was positive Bax had simply latched onto Zizi because she'd shown him kindness. Zutan would have done the same.

"Hello, Jezz," Katherine said flirtatiously.

Zell raised an eyebrow at that. He knew Jezzeff was quite charming, but he hadn't expected him to charm his own daughter. He trusted Jezzeff, but did that trust extend to allowing him to seduce Katherine? _There are far worse choices of suitors,_ he thought. It was true that Jezzeff had murdered his wife Rosemary long ago, but he'd had _reason_ to. Katherine was gloriously evil and would never try to stop Jezzeff from doing questionable things. She'd _encourage_ them. He had no reason to harm her.

"Katherine," Jezzeff said pleasantly. "Lovely to see you again."

"When did you two meet?" Zell asked.

"I came across Katherine while everyone was trying to recover from the attack," Jezzeff explained. "She needed a bit of healing and I recognized that she was your daughter, so I offered to assist her."

"I see. Thank you for tending to her, my dear boy," Zell said with approval. He paused. "We still await three others..."

He was concerned. The Alchemist and the Warlock could be anywhere and would surely arrive when they were good and ready, but Felina should have returned as soon as he put out his message.

 _I fear she may be gravely injured,_ he thought. _I must find her quickly._ He tried feeling out for her energy but couldn't sense her. He was certain she was alive, but she was thoroughly hidden. Wherever Felina was, she must be in bad shape.

"Have any of you seen or heard from Felina?" He asked.

"Not since she helped us escape from the base," Hunter replied.

"No, Great Zell," Neighbelle said, feigning concern he knew she didn't feel. "Do you think something has happened to her?"

"She _must_ be in bad shape, or she would be here," Zell said firmly. "Perhaps she found her way to the Alchemist and the Warlock... I expect them to arrive soon. If she is not with them, I shall go in search of her myself. Felina's safety is a top priority."

"What about the kids? Where are they?" Maya asked. "Did they make it out?" She looked genuinely worried, and Zell knew it was because Sharon looked so much like Kendrix.

 _I may have made a poor choice when it came to letting Sharon meet Maya... She may still be evil from the flames, but she is beginning to question her loyalty to me,_ Zell thought. He hoped he wouldn't need to put Maya down, but if she broke free from his control, he would have no choice.

"I can feel that Callie and Sharon survived. Unfortunately, I think the Rangers have them. We'll need to get them back as soon as possible," Zell replied.

"Will the Rangers hurt them?" Riley asked.

"Of _course_ not. They're just kids. _We're_ the evil ones," Damon reminded him.

"I'd worry more about Callie trying to slaughter them than the Rangers doing anything to her," Hunter added. "And Sharon's like a scared little mouse. They have no reason to hurt her."

"The children are safe for now," Zell said. "Now... I have fixed up an underground area for all of you. There are plenty of rooms. Go settle in. You may explore the property, but avoid the West end. It is in horrible condition and is unsafe." Zell didn't add that he'd trapped Liza in the tunnel beneath one of the severely damaged building over there. He didn't want anyone finding her. He looked at Shaniece. "Would you mind moving downstairs as well, my dear? When Felina returns, she may desire to stay in her old room."

"Of course," Shaniece replied. "It's no problem at all. I'll go gather my things." She excused herself.

"Great Zell... Who _is_ that?" Jaybert asked.

"Ah, yes, of course. My apologies for not introducing her properly. _That_ is Shaniece Campbell."

"Campbell?" Neighbelle asked in surprise.

"Indeed, Neighbelle... I have recruited one of Galaxia's descendants to the Alliance. She's the one who healed me."

"Great Zell, don't you think it's a bit _odd_ one of the Campbells would join us? They're _disgustingly_ bound by morals."

"Shaniece has proven herself to me, Neighbelle. Do not question her loyalties."

"But, Great Zell-"

 _"Enough._ While the _rest_ of you hid and ran for your lives, Shaniece nursed me back to health. Even as the restless spirits lurking on this land attacked me, she remained by my side."

"Spirits?" Bax asked. He looked at Zizi like he was worried she might be upset by this information.

"Yes... The foot soldiers who lost their lives here and at the Counsel Building were lingering, as well as some others who perished here. I absorbed many of them to regain my strength. I fear the dragon attack agitated an old injury I suffered long ago that was quite similar. I needed to consume their life force to sustain myself until I healed."

Zizi's face was unreadable as she asked, "Great Zell... Was my mother among the spirits here?"

"Yes, my dear. She was _quite_ impressive, really. Had she still been alive, she would have made an _excellent_ ally. Zydia fought honorably in defense of herself and even the other souls... Your mother was leading them as her own personal army of the dead. I think she was a bit bothered that I came here and took away her minions. She was most likely the one who flung two swords through my chest as I slept."

"Yeah, that _does_ sound like my mother," Zizi admitted.

"She survived, Zizanyah. I believe Raffitty was here as well. They left together recently. I have not felt them here at all today."

Zizi nodded. "Thank you for telling me that. I may not have been close to my mother, but she was _still_ my blood."

"Come on, Lass. I'll help you set up your room," Branz said pleasantly. He linked his arm through Zizi's and led her downstairs. The others followed them.

Left alone, Zell took a deep breath. _It is all coming together,_ he thought. Still, he was worried. If he didn't find Felina, all might be lost.

 _She shall return to me,_ he thought. _Felina is the only one of them who is_ completely _loyal to me aside from perhaps Jezzeff. She would never betray me, and she knows I value her survival. She will fight to live until I can assist her._ He closed his eyes, picturing her in his mind as he vowed, _I'll find you, my dear, and our reunion shall be glorious._

 _ **THE ALCHEMIST**_  
"Eva... It's time," the Warlock said softly.

The Alchemist was sitting beside their deepest secret. She ran a hand gently through his long blonde hair, knowing he was still too weak to awaken. "Soon," she promised him softly. "Your strength returns more every day. When the time is right, we shall release you, but only once it is safe."

"Eva... He's calling us back," the Warlock said more urgently. "If we take too long, he may become suspicious."

"It is hard for me to leave him here, Maizon," she replied. "He is still so vulnerable... And he looks _so_ much like his father."

"I know, Eva," the Warlock said soothingly. "He is safe here. Our spells ensured that much the day he was attacked."

"If only Garron had known the _true_ reason for our participation," she said with a sad laugh. "He would have been furious... But I couldn't leave him there, Maizon... Not _him_. Not the sweet, gentle boy we'd held when he was a helpless infant, before we became what we are now... Not a good man who should never have been targeted in the first place... Not _his_ son."

"I felt the same. You know that. We did right by him, Eva," the Warlock said. "They all believe he is dead, even Zell. And now, we must continue our mission."

She sighed. "I know," she said. She stroked his long blonde hair again, hoping it comforted him in his comatose state. "Sleep well, sweet Rey," she added softly. "Eltar still has need of you, and you shall need your strength when you return."

Together, they headed out of the pocket realm where they had risked everything to hide Eltar's Prime Minister after the Rebellion had decided to murder him. _He is Elgan's only son,_ the Alchemist thought. _Protecting him is worth the risk._

They arrived at the base in Stone Hollow a short time later. "Eva Leigh, Maizon, thank goodness you have arrived safely," Zell said. He hesitated. "Is Felina with you?" He added with what seemed like genuine concern.

"She hasn't returned?" The Alchemist asked in surprise.

"No... Everyone else is accounted for. The others are here, aside from Callie and Sharon, who I believe the Rangers have abducted. We lost Estos at Marinessa's hands and Miss Morgan may have been saved by the Rangers, or she perished... I'm not certain. She was the last one known to have to seen Felina."

The Warlock looked at the Alchemist. She knew what he was thinking. Either Felina was dying or she had _actually_ betrayed Zell. It seemed unthinkable, but the Alchemist kept the thought hidden anyway. Zell wasn't suspicious of Felina, and if she _had_ decided to truly betray him, the Alchemist wouldn't sell her out. She was proud of the girl. It was about time.

"We'll help you find her," the Alchemist said. "If she's hurt, either of us can assist her."

"Thank you, my dear," Zell said. He wasn't suspicious of her offer, probably because he knew she tolerated Felina more than most of the other Alliance members. "Settle in quickly and then we will go in search of her."

"Yes, Great Zell," she replied. "Come, Warlock," she added, motioning for him to follow her.

When they reached the rooms they decided to claim for themselves, the Warlock looked at her. "Do you think she really did it?" He asked.

"If she didn't, she _must_ be dead or dying," the Alchemist replied. "And if Felina _has_ turned on him, things are going to get a _lot_ more interesting around here."

 _ **SAKURA**_

She stood over the _gigai_ in front of her. It was impressive and she was positive it would work well for what she intended. "Alright... It's time to bring you back to life... Sort of," she said.

The soul standing before her had made a _lot_ of bad choices in his life. She knew most had been manipulated by Zell from the time he was a boy. She also knew he was not entirely evil.

Garron studied the _gigai._ "So... I will inhabit this shell?" He asked.

"For now. I know you are an important player in things, Garron. Zell went out of his way to control you and manipulate you from the day you were born. I know you have struggled because you want to do the right thing but he sends you down the wrong path again and again. I don't know if you can be trusted, but I'm taking a chance... And if you do anything that goes against what you're supposed to be doing, the Soul Society has control of your _gigai._ We'll be able to recall it and banish you back to your spirit form. Consider this to be a parole opportunity. If you prove you can be trusted, perhaps we'll bring you back for real, but until then, we will monitor everything you do."

He looked at her. "And, in this form, I will be able to help them?" He asked.

"Yes. If you make the right choices, you'll be able to help bring Zell down," Sakura promised.

"Sakura... I don't know if I can be trusted," Garron admitted.

"That's exactly why you're in this form. Don't worry."

"Many people would call you mad for allowing me to walk again... And for resurrecting Raffitty."

"Maybe I am... But I think a little bit of madness is _exactly_ what you all need to win this fight. The Power Rangers, Chosen, and even Rebels have been playing by the rules and are losing because Zell makes his _own_ rules. One of Zell's main advantages is he sees the future, and he's good at predicting what people will do. They need to do things he'll never see coming... Things he's positive are impossible."

"What else are you planning, Sakura?" Garron asked curiously.

She smiled at him mysteriously. "Something big. That's all you need to know. Now... Let's test this thing out." She helped Garron enter the _gigai_. Suddenly, he was looking at her in a form others could see. The _gigai_ took on the appearance of his former body, as they tended to do. She smiled. "Not bad," she said. "How does it feel?"

Garron took a deep breath. "Almost like being _alive,"_ he said softly. He hesitated. "Sakura... Where will I hide? I don't want the Rebels to just come across me. It would shake a great many of them up."

"I'll keep you here in Japan for a bit. I can mask your energy so Zell doesn't detect you. Don't worry, Garron. I know what I'm doing," Sakura promised. "I did it for Felina, too."

"What do you mean?" Garron asked.

"Felina needs time to figure out where she stands on things. I hid her energy so Zell can't find her. He could be standing in front of her and wouldn't know it."

"Felina is loyal to Zell, no matter what. She always has been."

"She's standing at a precipice, Garron... And whatever choice she makes, she's going to determine the outcome of things. I decided she deserved a chance to consider her options in peace."

She helped Garron get used to being in his new form before leading him to a safe location. "I've got something very important to tend to... You can stay here, with Uryu. He'll make sure you don't get into trouble." She pointed to the Quincy.

"Uryu..." Garron repeated. "My name is Garron. It's nice to meet you." He looked at Sakura a bit skeptically. "Are you certain this _teenager_ can keep me from causing problems?"

Uryu frowned at him, adjusting his glasses before calmly saying, "If you step even _slightly_ out of line, I'll shoot you full of arrows before you can blink."

Garron raised an eyebrow at that. He had no doubt the boy was being quite literal. "Hmmm... Perhaps I was wrong to judge you, Young Man." He smiled in mild amusement. "He'll do," he added to Sakura.

Sakura nodded. "I'll leave you two to get to know each other," she said as she walked away. She knew if anyone wouldn't put up with any crap from Garron, it was Uryu. Confident he wouldn't be an issue, she went in search of Jushiro.

"Did you manage it?" She asked him when she found him.

Jushiro didn't look good. He was sickly at times in general, but now he looked more pale than she'd ever seen him before. "We found him," he replied. "And we did manage to recover enough of his energy to reform him." He coughed and a little bit of blood trickled out of his mouth.

"Jushiro, what did you _do?_ I figured you'd ask for help, not do it yourself!" Sakura said in concern.

"The matter seemed quite urgent, Sakura, and there wasn't enough of him to risk moving him from the realm where we found him." He coughed more.

"I'm taking you to Squad Four. They can heal you. Where is he?"

Jushiro managed a small smile as he said, "Right here." He pointed to an unconscious soul. The soul was weak, but fully formed, which was better than what they'd initially thought was possible. She studied the soul carefully.

"He's exceptionally weak," she said, "but I think we can save him. You did well, Jushiro... Now, please get some rest. I'll bring you both to Captain Unohana so she can heal you."

She led Jushiro to Captain Unohana, who was one of the only people she could trust with the soul he'd rescued. She also carried the soul to her. "Oh, my..." Captain Unohana said as Jushiro collapsed at her feet. She sighed. "Isane, please bring Captain Ukitake to his usual bed."

"Of course, Captain," her lieutenant replied. She quickly moved Jushiro into a wheelchair and wheeled him down the hall.

"Will he be alright?" Sakura asked.

"He's done this to himself before, as you know. With rest and a bit of treatment, he will be fine. Now... This soul... Who, exactly, is he?" Captain Unohana asked.

"He's not from our world, or even from Earth. He comes from a planet called Eltar and is connected to the evil being I've been trying to counteract."

Captain Unohana considered this as she began to examine him. "He's quite weak... However, I believe, given time, I can help him grow strong. Do you intend to give him a _gigai,_ or just to have his soul wander?"

"Actually... I'm sort of hoping to resurrect him."

Captain Unohana stared at her in surprise. "Sakura... That's going to be quite difficult. His soul is severely damaged. I suspect that, before Jushiro intervened, there was nothing left."

"You're correct... Which is why Zell won't see this coming. Captain Unohana, if we can pull this off, Zell's already deteriorating mental faculties may just shatter all together. If nothing else, it should pull the power he stole out of him."

"Why is that?"

"I believe Zell is losing his mind because when he stole power that was never meant to be his it literally began eating away at his sanity. This soul is that power's rightful owner."

"Who is he, Sakura?" Captain Unohana asked again.

"His name is Elgan... He's Zell's younger brother. Zell murdered him millennia ago in order to gain full control of the powers they were meant to share. Only a slither of Elgan remained, and recently, he gave up the last of his life force to help Pierce become stronger. I tested a theory that Elgan's energy still existed somewhere in the universe, and Jushiro was meant to find it... But he decided to try to fix him, pushing himself too far."

"Jushiro's kind heart would not allow him to do anything less. I'll ensure he recovers. As for the soul..." She sighed. "You are safe here, Elgan of Eltar... And if we _can_ help you, we will. You have my word." She looked at Sakura. "Go on. Leave him to me. I'll let you know what his progress is."

"Thank you, Captain Unohana." Sakura excused herself. When she was alone, she paused to take in everything that had just happened. Garron was walking the Earth. Tegus had crossed over and was free from repeatedly reliving his death. Raffitty and Zydia were safe. And now, Elgan had been reformed. "Not a bad start," Sakura thought aloud. "I believe I've earned a nap." She would deal with visiting the people Raffitty wanted consulted before he would agree to return another day. She was exhausted and needed a little bit of time to recover from all of the work she'd been doing before she tried to bring him back anyway.

 _ **ZELL**_

Something was... _Wrong_. He couldn't explain what he was feeling or why it sent him into a frenzy, but suddenly, he was furious. He still hadn't been able to find Felina, which was frustrating and troubling. On top of that, whatever was bothering him seemed to be affecting his powers. He'd been misfiring all day.

He stepped into his newest energy tube, hoping to filter out some of the power that was overwhelming him. He'd only been inside it for a couple of minutes when it shattered.

"Great Zell? Is everything alright?" Jezzeff asked in alarm as he rushed into the room.

Zell stepped away from the shattered energy tube, banishing it in frustration. "I don't know," he admitted.

Jezzeff looked justifiably alarmed at that. "What happened here?" He asked.

"My energy seems to be too chaotic right now," Zell replied. "I was trying to balance myself out with the energy tube, but it shattered from the force of what is stirring within me."

Jezzeff frowned. "What could be causing this?" He asked.

"I'm really not certain, but I intend to figure it out as quickly as possible. This simply will not do." He managed to form some of the rogue energy into a ball and released it into the ground. The earth shook, but nothing else happened, and he felt a bit better. "I'm going to go somewhere to take some of my frustration out. Watch over things while I'm handling this. I am trusting you to deal with any emergencies. I'll be back in a bit."

"Of course, Great Zell," Jezzeff said humbly. He walked away.

Zell quickly headed to the West end of the property. He walked downstairs to the tunnel he'd trapped Liza in. She was still bloody from his first attack, but she didn't seem as bothered as he would have liked. "Hello, my dear..." he said in a dark tone.

Liza looked at him with bored eyes. She didn't respond. He immediately began torturing her. He _needed_ to get a rise out of her... He needed to make her scream or beg for mercy. He beat her, cut her up, and played with her blood. He burned her. He choked her. He forced himself on her. Liza hardly reacted at all.

"Is that the _best_ you can do?" She asked when he'd finished with her.

He glared at her. Liza rolled her eyes. "Look, my father was a sociopathic evil bastard whose favorite past times included torturing me, cutting me so he could use my blood for spells, and forcing me to perform sex magic and other inappropriate things so he could use my power for himself and my bitch of a step-monster. If you think I can't handle _anything_ you can dish out, you're sadly mistaken," she informed him calmly.

He moved closer to her, ready to try once again to get a genuine reaction of fear from her. He hesitated before attacking her, feeling a bit twitchy as his water powers seemed to be struggling against him again.

"What's the matter, Zell? Can't get it up? Don't feel bad. I mean, you're, what, like a _quadrillian_ years old? _Lots_ of men have trouble in that area as they get old," Liza said. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. They make a _pill_ for that, you know. It's blue, like you."

He slapped the vulgar girl across her face. Liza didn't so much as flinch. "Do you feel _better_ now, Old Man?" She asked after a moment. She rolled her eyes again and sighed in an over-dramatic way. "This is going to get boring _fast._ "

Zell had had enough. He punched Liza in the mouth. She spit blood in his face. He quickly wiped it off. "Serves you _right,_ Fucker," she mumbled. He punched her again. Then, he ripped her free from the restraints on the cot he'd tied her to just so he could slam her head into a nearby wall a couple of times. Only when she stopped talking back did he realize she was unconscious. He threw her back onto the cot and restrained her again.

"I'll break you yet, you little _bitch,"_ he said harshly. It was extraordinarily rare that Zell uttered such vulgar words, but Liza Campbell was a special case. "And I'm going to enjoy _every second_ of it."

He left the tunnel feeling calmer. He'd released enough energy as he tortured Liza that he no longer felt like he would misfire and destroy everyone in the Alliance. Whatever was wrong with him, it had passed for now. Satisfied, he cleaned himself up a bit before heading back to the main part of the base. He was ready to focus on the Alliance's mission of destroying Zordon, the Chosen, the Power Rangers, and everyone else who stood in his way.


	26. Chapter 26

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** _Hey guys. Sorry it's been a bit. The chaos of the world kind of sent my Muses in a different direction for a little while, but I finally managed to write a pretty intense chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you're all safe and doing well during these crazy times._

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

 _ **ELOISE**_  
She woke up nauseous and dizzy. Eloise wasn't a fan of vomiting, but she couldn't stop herself from getting sick. She was surprised when Lady Eleanor opened up the door and silently moved her hair aside as Eloise continued to get sick.

"Easy now," Lady Eleanor said soothingly.

When Eloise finally felt better, Lady Eleanor helped her to her feet and cleaned her up. "Ugh..." Eloise mumbled. "Thanks, Lady Eleanor. Sorry about upchucking like that... Maybe it's a delayed reaction to being stuck outside of the time line while dying for several millennia." She smiled apologetically.

Lady Eleanor looked concerned. "Eloise, dear..." She began. Then, she seemed to change her mind about whatever she'd intended to say. "Come. I'll give you some crackers and make some tea to soothe your stomach."

"Actually, oddly, I'm craving the heck out of pancakes and bacon... Do we have any?" Eloise asked.

"Of course, dear. I'll make you some breakfast."

"Oooh, and _strawberries!_ I _need_ strawberries in my life right now! And maybe some ice cream... Jeez, _why_ am I starving?"

Lady Eleanor's expression turned unreadable as she led Eloise downstairs. Once there, she began cooking before excusing herself to make a phone call. Eloise savored the smell of the frying bacon until she returned. As Lady Eleanor set a plate in front of Eloise, she hesitated before sitting down with her.

Eloise immediately dug into her breakfast. "Eloise... I just spoke to Sage," she said.

"Did they have any luck with Liza yet?" Eloise asked between bites of food.

"Unfortunately, no, but that's not why I called her. I had my suspicions she could answer a question for me, considering she healed you when you arrived here."

"What question?" Eloise asked as she munched on a piece of bacon like she'd never eaten food before in her life.

"Eloise, dear... Before Zell tried to kill you, did you have any nausea, fatigue, or dizziness?"

"No, not that I can think of..." Eloise paused. "Is something wrong with me?" She thought of a million different health issues that might have been caused by eternally dying outside of the time line for millennia.

"Not precisely..." Lady Eleanor began. She offered up a small smile as she added, "Congratulations, Eloise... You and Jeirmi are going to be parents."

Eloise's mouth dropped open. She closed it quickly, trying to swallow the food she'd shoveled in before hearing those words and nearly choking. "I'm sorry, we're _what?"_ She asked.

"You're _pregnant,_ Eloise. Sage detected the baby as she healed you and she saved you _both._ She was waiting to tell you until you and Jeirmi had a chance to adjust to being here."

Eloise stared at her in disbelief. "Holy moly..." She mumbled. She touched her stomach. "You must be one tough kid, Little One..." _She'd_ barely survived Zell's attack. It seemed impossible that she hadn't miscarried, if only from blood loss and trauma.

A new thought occurred to her. "Holy horsefeathers... _How_ am I supposed to tell Jeirmi this right now?" She asked. She stared at her food, unable to process the news that she was honest-to-God knocked up and they were in the middle of the fight of their lives.

"Eat, dear," Lady Eleanor said gently. "You need your strength."

"Right... Everything is copacetic..." Eloise tried to convince herself. "It's Jake."

"Jake?" Lady Eleanor repeated.

"Sorry. That's Flapper slang for 'great.' It's _great."_

"You'll be _fine_ , Eloise. A child is a wonderful gift, even when unplanned."

"I take it you never intended to have children?"

"No, I did not. As a warrior and the leader of the Eltarian Guard, I believed that would not be my path. However, when I learned I was pregnant with Gregory, I was determined to protect him... And I did, for too brief a time, with all that I possessed." She looked haunted, and Eloise immediately felt sorry for her. The woman might be the toughest person alive, but she'd lost her son and her husband. That would mess _anyone_ up, even if Lady Eleanor hid it well.

Eloise leaned over and hugged Lady Eleanor. She tensed, seeming quite surprised, but then she hugged her back. "I'm alright, Eloise," she said softly. "And you shall be as well."

"I kind of wish my mom was around right now," Eloise said. Then, she paused. "Wait, Mom's Eltarian! I know that, realistically, my dad's gone by now, and I'm trying not to dwell on that, but... Mom is probably still out there somewhere."

"I'm sure it would do her heart some good to see her daughter again," Lady Eleanor said. "You should search for her, Eloise. A first-time mother needs that kind of support. I didn't have my mother, but Matthew's mother was a wonderful woman. She was extremely helpful when I had no idea what to do."

"Did you ever tell her what happened to Sir Matthew?" Eloise asked softly.

"I couldn't. She perished when our son was a teenager. It was a horrible event. The twins did not survive either." She shook her head.

"Twins?"

"Matthew's younger brother and sister, Paul and Jane. They were good people."

Eloise couldn't ignore her curiosity as she cautiously asked, "What happened to them?"

Lady Eleanor turned a bit colder then. "They were murdered," she replied. "By the Rebellion of Eltar."

"What? _Why_ would the Rebels kill Sir Matthew's family?"

"Lara, his mother, and Jane both worked as healers. Paul was one of the Peacekeepers. The Rebels targeted a gathering of some of Eltar's upper class. Mayor Freyst was there, and I remain convinced he was the primary target, but he escaped and managed to survive. From what we were told, after the initial attack, Lara and Jane were brought to offer medical assistance and Paul was there with the Peacekeepers to help search for survivors. The Rebels attacked a second time, killing everyone who was present, including the innocents who were only trying to help."

Suddenly, Eloise fully understood why Lady Eleanor seemed to hate the Rebellion so much. "That's _awful,"_ she said. "Sir Matthew must have been devastated."

"He was. His family meant the world to him." Lady Eleanor changed the subject so quickly, Eloise nearly got whiplash. "I need to check on my Rangers and my grandson. Please don't hesitate to call if you need anything, dear." She quickly left the room.

Suddenly, as she was about to start eating again, time moved through Eloise. She saw a future that didn't look too promising.

 _Mistress Cheetah stubbornly refused to be saved. Lily's heart was too broken. As Casey, RJ, and Sage attempted to restore her light, she was unable to accept it. Without Theo, she could never find herself again._

"Well, crap... Looks like we have a problem," Eloise mumbled.

"Problem?" Jeirmi asked from the doorway. He looked a little groggy, but he'd already showered, shaved, and gotten dressed, and he had a cup of coffee in his hands. Eloise was still in her pajamas and fuzzy bunny slippers.

"Morning, Handsome," Eloise said cheerfully.

"Good morning... What's the problem?" He replied like a dog with a bone.

"Nothing we need to worry about yet... I just need to take a little stroll..."

"Eloise-"

"Trust me, Jeir... I _need_ to do something."

"What is it? Let me do it instead-"

"Jeirmi... You don't want to know, and you'll want to tell me no... But this is too important. I have to fix something before we have a full-blown apocalypse on our hands."

"Ellie... You're _really_ worrying me."

She kissed the tip of his nose. "You worry too much," she said. "I'll be back in _no_ time!" She wolfed down the last of her breakfast and chased it with juice before ducking into the timeline. Jeirmi had no time to object, but she heard him give an exasperated sigh as she vanished.

"Imagine how he'd have reacted if he knew about _you,"_ she said to the baby. "Don't worry... I'll tell him as soon as we make it back home from this not-at-all troubling, super-duper dangerous mission that, if I time it wrong, could kill us both... Man, I'm an idiot... But this _needs_ to be done, and no one else can pull it off."

She stood by the exit, waiting to re-enter the timeline at the exact right moment. Nervously, Eloise watched the scene unfolding inches away from her like she was was watching a film.

"Theo... Oh God..." Lily whispered. "We'll get you help. Come on..."

"Lily, you can't move me," Theo said weakly. Eloise noticed he was fatally injured. He was right. If Lily moved him, he'd only bleed out faster.

"Of course I can. We're getting out of here," Lily said stubbornly.

"The room is sealed, and that's the one thing protecting everyone below it, Lily. The Cogs will kill them all. We have to stop them," Theo insisted.

Lily examined the room. "I have an idea," she said. "That pipe up there will spill a ton of water in here very quickly. It'll short the Machine Empire out... The pressure of it will probably crush them all. Divatox planted a bomb up there. I can set it off."

"That's a great plan, honey, but there's one problem... You'd have to detonate the bomb while still in the room."

"I know," Lily said.

"No... Lily, _no_!"

"I'm _not_ leaving you, Theo, and I _can't_ move you, and we need to stop the Cogs... I'm okay with this. I can _do_ this."

Eloise's heart broke for Lily. _I'd have done the same thing,_ she thought. _That poor girl..._

"No, damnit! You're _not_ doing that," Theo said firmly.

"It's the only way, Theo!" Lily replied.

Theo sighed. He pulled her closer. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Lily... Do one thing for me," he said.

"Of course," she said. "Anything."

He kissed her. Then, he put his hand over the button to unseal the door. " _Live_ ," he said. He unsealed the door, shoved Lily through, sealed it again, and fired off a shot to set off the bomb.

Eloise had a split second to react after the shot was fired. She reached into the timeline, grabbed the severely wounded Theo, and yanked him out of time at the exact moment that the bomb detonated.

Theo was dying. There was no denying that. He was also stuck outside of the timeline and, like Eloise, couldn't get any worse.

"Who the hell are _you?"_ Theo asked in confusion.

"I'm a girl who's about to be in a lot of trouble for changing the timeline... Again." She giggled. "Most people call me Ellie, or Eloise. Nice to meet you, Theo."

He stared at her in confusion. "Eloise... Am I dead?"

"You were... And it massively screwed up your wife, who sort of became an evil overlord and took over Onyx... It's a long story, Theo, but the short version is that Zell turned Lily evil, and promptly lost control of her, and she took over Onyx and tried to take over Eltar, and now she's been captured, but without you, Lily's not going to let them fix her, and that's a _major_ threat to society and she's so heartbroken and I would be, too, and I wanna help so I jumped back in time to save you after you decided to sacrifice yourself to save everyone else including Lily, which was _so_ brave by the way, and now here we are!"

Theo blinked at her.

"Sorry... Was I talking too fast again?" Eloise asked.

"Sort of... Did you just say that Lily is _evil?_ That's impossible."

"Zell has these flames... When he pushes someone into them, they lose their light completely. Most become loyal to him, but somehow, Lily fought that."

"Of _course_ she did. Her spirit is too strong for him to control... We have training most others don't." Theo paused. "I _have_ to save her, Eloise."

"That's the plan... But first, I have to save _you."_ She paused thoughtfully. "I'm a fair healer, but this is beyond my skill level. I need to bring you to someone who can help... Someone who can heal _anything."_

"Like who? Sage or Troy?"

"Nope... Sage has too much going on already with Liza missing, and Troy's been working himself too hard. I don't want to overwhelm him. Besides, the second you step back into time, you'll bleed out..." She considered her options. "Amello," she said finally.

"Who?"

"He's an Eltarian. He's insanely good at healing. Not only can he heal fatal wounds, he can cure terminal illnesses. That takes a lot out of him, so he can't do it often, but injuries are easier. He can save you. I just need to figure out where he is." She reached through time, searching for an opportunity. "There! The whole group of them is there, but if _anyone_ can keep a secret, it's the Circle. I'll hide you in... Scotland in 1467 until it's time to bring you to Lily. No one will find you there, and I'll go back for you."

"Scotland? I thought you said he was an Eltarian."

"The Circle travels from place to place. I saw them during my travels through time, and I went to several of Tinny's parties while I lived on Eltar. They're friends. You can trust them."

Theo seemed to realize it was Scotland a few centuries in the past or death. "Alright," he said. "They save me... And then, I save Lily."

"Exactly! Hold on. It's time to jump." Eloise took his hand and pulled him toward their destination. When she found the right time, they stepped back into the timeline. Theo promptly collapsed and rapidly began bleeding out at Amello's feet.

"Oh, my..." Amello mumbled before immediately starting to heal him.

"Ellie, Lass!" Tinny said grandly. He pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her cheek. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

"I sort of stole a previously dead man from his destiny so he could be saved and cure his wife who was turned evil by magic," Eloise replied.

"You've had a productive day, Lass," Maegus said with a laugh.

"Interesting ensemble you're wearing, Ellie," Branz commented. "I especially love the bunny slippers."

She laughed. "I didn't have time to get dressed," she said.

"Would you like to stay for lunch?" Ling asked with a warm smile.

"I'd love to, but I need to get back... I'll come back for him soon. Protect him with all you've got, and don't tell anyone, okay?" Eloise asked.

"For you, anything," Hezzo replied. "Go on, Ellie. He's safe here."

"Thanks, guys." She smiled at them before heading back to present day Angel Grove.

Jeirmi was waiting for her. He looked incredibly nervous and adorably frustrated. She'd missed that. "My mission was a success," she said cheerfully.

Jeirmi wrapped her in his arms. "Don't do that, Ellie... Don't run off of me. Not after what happened. Take me with you next time. I don't _ever_ want to be separated from you again," he said as he held her.

"There's one other thing... Um..." Eloise stared at her bunny slippers.

"Eloise... What's going on?" Jeirmi asked, clearly bracing for the worst.

"It's not bad news, Jeirmi... It's actually really _amazing_ news. I'm kind of, sort of, a little bit pregnant." She raised her eyes to his face nervously.

Jeirmi stared at her with his jaw dropped. "Pregnant? _How?"_

"Well, see, when a man and a woman-"

 _"Eloise!"_ Jeirmi blushed. Eloise giggled. He shook his head. "I meant how could a baby have survived what you've been through?"

"I don't know... We've got ourselves a tough little kid here..." She paused. "Jeirmi, I want to find my mom. She should still be alive."

"Okay... So where do we look?"

"Well, in the 1920's, she was here in Angel Grove... But Eltarians move around a lot because they don't appear to age, so she could be anywhere."

"What's her name, Ellie? You never really talk about her."

"I missed her too much, so I tried not to think about her. Besides, Mom likes her privacy. She ran away from Eltar, remember? I can't even say for sure that it was her real name... But she went by Maryanne. That's not very Eltarian, is it?" Eloise laughed.

"Okay, so the first thing we need to do is figure out what name she might be living under now, and where she'd go."

"She talked about how it was easier to hide in big cities... Angel Grove was actually kind of quiet for her, but she fell in love with my dad, and this is where he was."

"Big cities on Earth... Let's see... Well, if she stayed in California, there's Los Angeles, or San Francisco..."

"She'd have to go further than that if she didn't want to risk being recognized... New York, maybe. Mom loves the Arts, and she's a big fan of the theater. I could see her settling down in New York, and it's the sort of town where no one would notice her not aging, because New Yorkers are used to weird things."

"Isn't Captain Smith from New York?"

"Yeah, that's where his Chapter is based..." Eloise smiled. "I have a photo of my parents in my locket, along with one of you... It's upstairs. I could show it to them and see if any of them know her. Talking to a New Yorker seems like the best bet."

"The best bet for what?" Someone asked from the doorway. Chelsea stood there with Logan.

"I'm sorry, but this is a private conversation," Jeirmi said a little harshly.

"A private conversation about you needing a New Yorker... Which you happen to have standing in front of you," Chelsea replied with a casual shrug. "But if you don't want my help, whatever."

"Wait!" Eloise said. "Stay." She ran upstairs and grabbed her locket, returning quickly. "Do you recognize the woman in this photo?" She asked hopefully. It was a long-shot, but so were a lot of things. It was worth a try.

Chelsea examined the photo for a moment before pausing. "I don't exactly know her, but I know _of_ her," she replied. "She goes by Madame Matilda. She's a fortune teller in the East Village. She's got quite a reputation. I used to see her picture in the _Village Voice,_ back when it was still around."

"What's that?" Eloise asked.

"A newspaper, sort of. They catered to the alternative crowd, but they covered a lot of political and community issues, too. Anyway, people advertised in the back all the time... A lot of them were random job listings or ads for sex workers, but psychics advertised, too."

"Sex workers?" Jeirmi repeated. "What sort of newspaper _was_ this?"

"Like I said, it wasn't your typical newspaper. Anyway, I remember her photo because her reputation was so strong. Most of the psychics were scam artists, but not Madame Matilda."

"Chelsea... Would I be able to find a copy of this newspaper?" Eloise asked.

"The archive is probably still online. I'm not sure if the ads would be included, but you could try and Google it."

"Google?"

"It's a search engine... On the Internet..." She shook her head and pulled out her cellular phone. Eloise watched as Chelsea initiated a search for Madame Matilda in New York. Several results came up immediately.

"This is her, right?" Chelsea asked, showing Eloise a photo.

Eloise smiled. "That's my mom," she said proudly. "She was a really strong seer... Among other things. I'm not surprised she did so well as a fortune teller."

Chelsea grabbed a notebook off of the counter along with a pen and wrote down the address and telephone number listed. "Here you go. Hopefully, the information's current," she said. "Logan and I are heading out."

"Our teams are helping with the effort to search for Liza," Logan added, speaking for the first time.

"Do you need any assistance?" Jeirmi asked dutifully.

"I think we've got it for now," Logan replied.

"Thank you, Chelsea," Eloise said, flinging her arms around her.

Chelsea seemed confused by the hug, but she shrugged in response. "No big," she replied casually. "Good luck."

Logan and Chelsea quickly left. Eloise looked at Jeirmi. With a grin, she asked, "Fancy a trip to New York City?"

 _ **ANDIE**_

It had taken some serious work on Lido's part, but Andie had finally agreed to see Ivan. He stood in Lido's hut now. Lido took A'Vah outside. "We'll be close," he promised before he left.

Andie nodded. "Thanks, Lido," she said softly. She looked at Ivan when they were alone. "Ivan... I'm sorry I ran off on you," she began.

"It's alright, M'Lady... Sir Trerry and I had a rather interesting discussion, and now I know why you did," he replied softly.

"He told you?"

"He did... And although I cannot recall much... I have caught glimpses of the past."

"I'm so sorry..." Andie said, trying not to cry. "He killed you because you tried to help me, and I wouldn't even let you do it..."

"You were frightened, M'Lady, and with reason. Lygus understood that, just as I do. All he wanted was to protect you. I'm so sorry that I failed..."

 _"You_ failed? You were the one who got killed, Ivan. You died years before Daphne did."

"M'Lady... It wasn't your fault. Not even slightly." He pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head.

Andie took a deep breath. "Now I know why I jumped into those flames," she said with a sad smile.

"Indeed... You kept your promise to me, M'Lady... You saved me from the one thing I truly feared, turning evil... And I love you even more for it."

"I love you, too... But I'm terrified he's going to kill you again. This is why he hates you so much."

"I'm not afraid, M'Lady. If that's how I'm meant to die, then so be it."

"Please don't say that."

"I don't plan on dying anytime soon, Andie... Remember, my Energem protects me in ways Lygus wasn't protected. I'm not so easy to kill this time."

"Daphne blamed herself... And when she finally figured out what happened, she was going to take Zordon and run."

"That's when she decided to leave him?"

"Yes... Because she realized what a monster he really was... And because everything else he'd done sort of fell into place for her then." She paused. "She loved Lygus as much as I love you, Ivan... She just didn't understand that until it was way too late. She was so blinded by everything with Zell, and she thought that's what love was... But it wasn't. The way Lygus treated her... The way she felt about him... _That's_ love."

"I found you again, M'Lady..."

"Yes, as Isobel... And she lost you, too. I don't want this to be the third time I lose you, Ivan. I don't think I can handle going through that again."

"They say the third time is the charm, correct? Let's prove that right! I shall not leave thee, M'Lady." He kissed her lips this time, and Andie relaxed slightly. "Don't push me away, Andie... It shall not work. I'm not going anywhere."

"Well, you _are_ stubborn," she said with a slight smile. "That's how we ended up together in the first place. I wasn't exactly on Team Ivan in the beginning."

"Indeed! However, I rather enjoy a challenge," Ivan replied with a smile of his own. "No more running away... Are we in agreement?"

"Okay," Andie replied. "We're in this together... And we'll be stronger for it."

"Precisely!" He paused. "Will you return home now?"

"Yeah... I'm ready to go back home. Just let me say goodbye to Lido and A'Vah."

"But of course! How is the little one?"

"She's good. Lido's got her speaking more English, and her Eltarian's even better. I think she's happy here."

"Good. And how does Lido feel about his tiny guest?"

"I think he's getting attached to her. She's good for him. I'm glad they have each other."

They walked outside so Andie could say goodbye. She gave A'Vah a tight hug and promised to return soon. When she hugged Lido, she said, "Thank you for stopping me from doing something incredibly stupid."

"You would have come to your senses eventually," Lido replied. "However, I'm always happy to be here for you, Andie."

He bent down so she could kiss his cheek. Then, Ivan took her arm. Together, they headed home.

 _ **KEVIN**_

The Samurai Rangers were training harder than ever. Kevin didn't mind that. He knew how important it was to remain prepared for the coming battle. Besides, Spike needed the extra training time to catch up with the rest of the team.

Lauren had stuck around, to Kevin's surprise. He was pleased to have her there. Her levels of focus and discipline were impressive, and she made an excellent mentor for Spike. The more time Kevin spent with Lauren, the more attached he became. He wasn't the sort to form strong personal attachments because training had always come first, but he admired Lauren, and he was coming to realize how much he enjoyed their conversations. Lauren probably understood him better than the others. He was starting to wonder if there might be more to his feelings than he was admitting to himself.

They were out searching for clues as to where the Alliance might have set up their new base of operations when they got attacked. Three Eltarians wearing full armor came toward them. They had two massive machines with them.

"It's the Italians," Jayden said. "Be careful, Guys. From what Zeke told us, they're pretty fierce, and their machines are deadly."

"Should we use our Zords?" Kevin asked.

"Not yet... Let's see where they're planning to take this before we show them our own secrets. These particular Eltarians don't know us."

"What should we do, Jayden?" Emily asked.

"Emily and Antonio, stay close to me and hold the center down. Mia, Spike, take the left. Kevin, you're with Lauren. Stay right."

Kevin immediately headed right with Lauren by his side. The leader, whose name if he remembered correctly was Arabella, went for Jayden, Emily, and Antonio first. The female, Katrice, took on Mia and Spike. That left the rather intimidating-looking man... Gabritto.

Gabritto came toward Kevin and Lauren with one of the machines. Kevin immediately morphed as he sensed the rest of his team doing the same. Lauren followed suit. As Gabritto came at them with unnatural strength and far too many weapons, they worked together to hold him off.

Magic filled the air. At first, Kevin thought it was just Arabella, who was known to be a Sorceress, but he quickly realized someone else had joined them. His magic made Arabella's even stronger as they teamed up against Jayden, Emily, and Antonio.

"We have to help them," Kevin said to Lauren.

"Jayden said to hold down the right. We need to trust him," Lauren said. "If he needs backup, he'll let us know."

The man working with Arabella laughed as he launched an attack against Antonio. Kevin watched in horror as Antonio's morph failed and he began to twitch on the ground. "Antonio!" Jayden and Emily shouted in unison.

Gabritto came at Kevin while he was distracted. Lauren jumped in front of him, blocking the attack with one of her own. Kevin stared at her in wonder. "Thank you..." He said softly.

"No problem," Lauren replied.

"Let's finish the boy off," the man said.

"Not yet, Jezzeff... I'm having _so_ much fun," Arabella protested. "Let's play with him a bit... Break his mind as well as his body..."

"Great Zell instructed us to get this done quickly," Jezzeff reminded her. He pulled out a sword as Jayden tried to attack him. Without even looking at Jayden, he deflected the attack and nearly impaled Jayden. Emily pulled Jayden to safety just in time. "You three are wasting time," Jezzeff continued as though he hadn't even noticed Jayden's attempt.

"Who _is_ he?" Kevin asked.

"Trouble, clearly," Lauren replied. "Come on." She led Kevin behind some trees so they could regroup as Gabritto busied himself with preparing his machine for an assault.

Kevin looked toward the others. Mia was still morphed, but Spike wasn't. He was bleeding from the head, but the wound didn't appear to be too serious. He stood in front of Mia bravely, ready to absorb Katrice's attack despite being unmorphed as Mia was preparing to attack Katrice. Kevin knew they were in trouble and that if Spike got hit, it might just kill him.

"What should we do, Lauren? I humbly defer to you," Kevin said respectfully.

"I want you to summon as powerful an attack as you can using Water... Aim it at his tank. I think that, combined with a strike from my sword, should short the entire thing out," Lauren replied.

"That's clever," Kevin agreed. "I'm ready when you are."

Lauren took a deep breath and nodded. "Go!" She said.

Kevin began preparing his attack. He'd never focused so hard in his life. As he released the water toward the tank, Lauren hit it hard with her sword, which was radiating with the essence of Fire. The tank immediately began to spark. Seconds later, it exploded. Gabritto was flung into the air. He landed hard, his body visibly burned.

"Gabritto!" Katrice cried in alarm. She ran toward them, leaving Spike a chance to recover from her attack as Mia checked his injury. "I'll kill you, _Bastardo!"_ Katrice shouted at Kevin. She had her sword raised and her machine was coming toward them.

"Think you can pull that off again?" Lauren asked.

"I can try..." Kevin said. The truth was that the attack had taken a lot of his energy, but what choice did he have? He began to raise a second attack.

Just as Kevin was about to release the attack, a sword was shoved through him from behind. He hadn't even sensed Jezzeff moving, but he stood over him now.

"Kevin!" Lauren shouted. She raised her sword, ready to fight against Jezzeff.

Jezzeff raised an eyebrow at Lauren. "Oh, my... How brave you are, Miss Shiba," he said in an oddly polite tone. "I'm not here to harm you, Lauren Shiba. Zell doesn't currently have any interest in whether you live or die. I am merely trying to protect these imbeciles before they get themselves slaughtered by your friends. Cease your attack and allow me to send Arabella, Katrice, and Gabritto home and no further harm shall come to you." Something about his words was deeply convincing, but Kevin chalked that up to the amount of blood he was rapidly losing.

"You just impaled one of my friends, so forgive me if I don't trust you," Lauren replied.

"I didn't hit anything vital... _This_ time. If you agree to a ceasefire, I'll allow him to escape with his life. If not, I'll finish him off before you can even attempt to strike me with your sword."

Lauren took off her helmet and stared him in the eye. "Jezzeff... I don't believe a _word_ you say," she said firmly. She put her helmet back on and began to fight against him with her sword. Lauren was good, but Jezzeff was unlike any swordsman Kevin had ever seen.

Realizing a sword fight was not one she could win, Lauren quickly began casting Kanji after Kanji. Most were fire-based attacks, but some were shields. As Kevin began to feel the bleeding slow down, he knew she'd also cast a healing Kanji. She fired off one after the other, not stopping.

"Lauren, you'll kill yourself if you keep this up!" Kevin cried in alarm. Even she only had so much energy to spare before she collapsed, and Jezzeff was healing almost as quickly as she was injuring him. It wasn't until a drop of Jezzeff's blood landed on the ground beside Lauren that Kevin realized what she was going to do.

Lauren removed her helmet again and carefully set it aside before she touched the blood and used it to draw another Kanji as she looked Jezzeff in the eye again. This attack connected directly with Jezzeff's body, causing fire to burst from within him. He screamed in agony as he burned.

"I can't beat you with a sword," Lauren said as she panted from her efforts, "but _you_ can't beat _me_ when it comes to the magic of the Samurai."

Jezzeff stared at her in shock. "Touche," he said as it began to downpour. The rain put out the fire. "Well done, Little Samurai. You have my respect, Lauren Shiba. I hope we meet again." With that, he vanished, taking Arabella, Katrice, and the severely wounded Gabritto with him.

"You're incredible!" Kevin declared. He was fully healed now and he knew it was entirely thanks to Lauren that he'd survived at all. Lauren smiled at him before she suddenly collapsed into his arms.

"Lauren!" Jayden cried. "Is she hurt?"

"She used an enormous amount of power to defeat Jezzeff," Kevin said. "I think she'll be alright with some rest. Is Antonio okay?"

Antonio offered Kevin a weak thumb's up and a smile as he leaned on Jayden and Emily to help him walk. "A healing Kanji will fix him in no time," Emily said.

"How are you feeling, Spike?" Kevin asked.

"Oh, I'm alright. A little embarrassed Mia had to save me, but I'm used to her being tougher than me," Spike said with his trademark nervous laugh. He was holding a cloth to his head where he'd gotten injured.

"Kev, can you handle carrying her back?" Jayden asked.

"Of course, Jayden. It would be my honor," Kevin said. He carefully shifted Lauren so he could move easier while he held her.

"Samurai Rangers... Victory is ours... For _now,"_ Jayden said. "Let's count our blessings, because that was almost _really_ bad. This Jezzeff guy is no joke, and we weren't prepared to handle him. We need to consult with the Eltarians and find out everything we can about him as soon as possible. Let's go." He began walking again, still supporting Antonio and Emily as they moved.

They'd survived, but Jayden was right. If Lauren hadn't managed to pull off a bit of a miracle, they wouldn't have. She was the bravest person Kevin had ever met. _I've never had a crush before,_ he thought. Was that what this was? He'd always been too busy training to think about girls, but Lauren wasn't just an ordinary girl. As he carried her back to their current home, he found himself studying her face and smiling to himself. Looking at her gave him a sense of peace. He liked that feeling. He wasn't sure what any of this meant for him, but for now, just having her close was enough.

 _ **BAX**_

He had never been good at following rules. Bax stood in the one place Zell had told them all to avoid, convinced he must be hiding something important there. As he snuck inside, he was stunned to discovered a girl covered in blood and bruises. It was clear she'd been tortured, but she was still taking shallow breaths. _She's a fighter,_ he thought.

"Come to... Take your turn... With me?" The girl asked between labored breaths.

Bax froze. "Holy shit... _Liza?"_ He asked softly.

"Obviously," Liza replied with enough of an edge to her sarcasm for him to know it really was her.

"What the hell did he _do_ to you?" Bax asked in horror.

"Exactly what _you're_ probably here to do... Go ahead... It doesn't matter... I won't scream, or... beg, or cry... Not for you... Not for him... Not for... _anyone,"_ Liza said firmly.

Suddenly, the true horror of everything he'd put Liza through came back to him. "Liza..." He said softly. "I'm sorry." He moved a few strands of bloody hair out of her face.

"Bullshit," Liza spat.

"Look, I know I did unforgivable things to you, and you didn't deserve them. You were still basically a kid... But I've been an evil asshole for as long as I can remember, and until extremely recently, I didn't care."

"Like you do _now?"_

"I do, because I remembered something... Something from a very, _very_ long time ago... I know this is the wrong path, Liza, but I can't figure out how to get off it. I'm in _way_ too deep... But I want to help you."

Liza paused. "Right... Then... Let me... Go..."

"I wish I could... He'd know the second I tried, and you can't get out of here in the shape you're in anyway. You need a healer, and I'm not great at that... I can only do the basics, Liza... But..." He paused before he began to send Air into her lungs. Zell had taught Zutan to steal Air from the lungs of his enemies, but Zutan had always possessed the ability to send it into the lungs of others. It was even easier because Bax knew Liza's energy extremely well. He inflated her lungs fully, willing them to heal themselves. After about a minute, Liza's breathing began to even out on its own.

She stared at him. "Why did you do that for me?" She asked. "What are you playing at? I'm completely vulnerable right now. I can't do much to protect myself because I'm so injured. You could have had your way with me or even killed me... But you fixed my lungs instead."

"I told you... I want to help you, Liza. I owe you that much and more than I can ever really do... But this is a start. I know I put you through hell. I'm sorry. If I could heal the rest of your body, I would, but Air is sort of my thing."

"I remember... You were a hell of a kisser because of that. It was like you'd suck the air out of my lungs and then breathe it back in with this massive intensity... I won't give you any other compliments, but even I can't deny that was an interesting experience."

"Listen to me, Liza... I'll find a way to get you help. I'll get word to them somehow... In the meantime, try not to piss him off."

"My _existence_ pisses him off, Nine."

"Fair point... But I'm sure your charming way with words doesn't help."

Liza actually managed a weak smile. "You're not wrong. Whatever. I always figured my mouth would get me killed one day."

"You're not going to die. I'll make sure they find you before that happens."

"Promises, promises..."

"I'm sure they're looking for you. Zedd's probably strong enough to save you."

"Zedd would be walking into a trap. I know damn well I'm bait for him. Why do you think I won't reach out and let him know where I am? Zell's going to kill him the minute he shows up." She paused. "What changed... Bax?" She asked, cautiously using his real name.

"I remembered my past life... A life in which I was basically Zell's bitch and I made all the wrong choices and the one person I cared about more than anyone else in the world ended up dead."

"You cared about someone other than yourself? Or did he kill _you?"_

"He didn't kill me. I got myself killed... Because Zell would have done it anyway, so I provoked someone into doing it before Zell could. But because I died, that bastard moved in on her."

"Her?" Liza asked with obvious interest. Even half-dead, Liza couldn't resist the promise of good gossip. "So this is about a girl? Did she break your poor little non-existent heart?"

"She was my _sister,_ not my lover. I saved her life when she was an infant and my family adopted her... And when I died, Jezzeff moved in on her and preyed on her in her grief. They got married, and he ultimately killed her. I tried so hard to save her, but I couldn't... And I can't let it happen again, Liza. I just... _Can't."_

Liza paused. "You _have_ changed," she said after a minute. "Keep this up and I just might have to learn to tolerate your existence. Micky won't like that."

Bax tensed slightly at the mention of Micky. He'd massively underestimated that kid the last time they'd faced off and he'd ended up dead. He didn't want to repeat that. Besides, he _couldn't_ die. Not yet. Not as long as Zizi was still in danger.

"Go on, Bax. Get out of here," Liza said. "If he finds you with me, he'll kill you before you can blink."

Bax sighed. "I feel like shit leaving you here like this... But there's nothing else I can do."

"Exactly. So go. I'll be fine, Bax. I'm _always_ fine," Liza said with confidence Bax knew she didn't feel. The unshakable Liza was terrified, but she'd never admit it.

He didn't know what he could possibly say in that moment, so he left. When he was safely off the grounds they were using as their base, he sighed. "I have to get word to someone without Zell realizing it... That's going to be nearly impossible," he said aloud. There were very few entities who Zell couldn't easily read. A name occurred to him. "No way... I can't. He'll kill me on sight!" He objected.

 _Going to him will prove how desperate you are, and he'll see that_ , Zutan thought in his mind. _He's the only one who can help that Zell won't see coming, and he can get word to Zedd_. _Besides... He can help us. He can put us on the right path. He was our friend once._

"Damnit..." Bax mumbled. "I am _so_ screwed." He knew he had no other choice. He went in search of the last person he should be looking for.

 _ **STONE**_

He was sitting with his Chapter trying to relax in front of the fireplace. Something felt terribly wrong. "He's gaining power," he mumbled.

"No kidding," Jessa said. "I don't have to be a Seer to know that."

"What do you feel, Stone?" Leela asked.

"His Alliance grows stronger every day... They're radiating with power," Stone replied.

"Should we head to Angel Grove?" Annabrooke asked.

"Not yet... However, we need to be ready to go at a moment's notice. This could escalate very quickly."

"Does that mean-" Boom began.

"We can-" Blast added.

"Blow some of his allies up?" The twins finished in unison.

Stone shook his head. They really were like two hyperactive toddlers with an unhealthy fondness for explosives. "No," he said simply. They pouted in unison but didn't protest.

"Stone... Do you know who else he's brought back?" Aylane asked a bit nervously.

Stone guessed why she was concerned. "He can't bring him back, Aylane," he promised her. "Not without resurrecting the rest of the Twelve, and only three were loyal to him. That would be a very bad plan, especially since we know two of them came to regret becoming his allies."

"Yes. _Two_ of them..." She repeated softly.

Aylane had been forced to kill her fiance, Kenton, when she realized he was responsible for the deaths of most of his closest friends. She'd stopped a monster, but at far too high a cost. Only Aylane and Bartello were supposed to know the truth, but Stone had figured it out over the years. Killing Kenton had taken a significant amount of power. Between that and her grief, Aylane had lost the baby almost no one had known she was carrying. Stone had kept that secret for her and had never called her on it.

"Don't worry, Lanie," Annabrooke said cheerfully. "If there's any sign of that asshole, we'll kick him straight back into the millennia he belongs in!"

"Guys... Someone is hurt," Wynter said suddenly. "I sense... An unusual life force outside."

"Unusual?" Ace repeated in concern.

"Yes... I sense damage, but not the sort I can heal... I'm... Confused by this."

"Let's go check it out," Ace said. He stood up.

Stone nodded. "I'll go with you," He said. "The rest of you, stay here until I tell you it's safe."

Stone and Ace walked outside of the house. At first, they saw nothing. Then, Stone noticed the smoke. "Quickly," he said to Ace as he moved toward it.

The massive heap of parts looked like it was completely destroyed. It was on fire, and probably had been for quite some time, yet it hadn't melted. "I suspect this was stuck outside of the timeline at some point," Stone said as he looked it over. "The energy feels... Unusual, like it's traveled through time and space."

"What _is_ it, Stone?" Ace asked.

"The damage is severe... It's hard to say for certain."

"Why would Wynter think a bunch of pieces of metal could feel pain?" Ace wondered. "She's rarely wrong when she senses this sort of thing."

A very weak moan came from one of the pieces. Stone was startled to sense someone looking at him. "It's alive..." He mumbled. "And it feels... Familiar. It's just so damaged, I can't recognize it..." He sighed. "Ace... Call Bartello and ask him to portal here immediately. He may be the only one who can help us with this."

"I'm on it," Ace promised, running back toward the house.

The air seemed to shift once Stone was alone with the destroyed machine. He sensed someone else watching him and spun around. That was when he noticed a bunch of leaves floating in the air. They danced in spirals around him before blowing away.

For a split second, Stone thought he was about to face the very last person he wanted to see. Instead, a different Eltarian moved into his line of sight. One look in his eyes told Stone that he was exactly who he'd suspected to begin with.

"Zutan..." He whispered.

The boy he assumed was Zutan's reincarnation put his hands up in surrender. "I just came here to talk, Stone," he said quickly.

"I have _nothing_ to say to you," Stone said firmly.

"I need your help, Stone... Please... I'm desperate."

"You have a _lot_ of nerve coming here, Zutan."

"I sort of go by Bax now, but I'm sure you don't care... Stone... Please... You're the _only_ one who can help me."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because I had the nerve to face you and ask?"

"You sold Talon out to that _bastard! You're_ the reason I lost my little brother! Do you _really_ think I'll help you now?" All of his rage was coming back. A storm was forming in the sky.

Bax looked terrified as the storm began to get out of control. "Stone, please... It's not about me. It's about _Liza_. Please just listen to me."

Stone hesitated. "The missing Power Ranger?" He asked.

"Yes. She's also my ex girlfriend, but that's not why I'm here. I know where he has her, Stone, but I can't help her. She's severely injured. Even if I freed her, she can't escape in that condition, and if I try to move her myself, he'll stop us."

"Why would you want to help her?"

"Because... I fucked _up,_ Stone. I fucked up _so_ bad... _Again_. But I remember who I was now... And why I have to fight him. I don't want to work for him anymore, Stone, but he's so deep in my head... In _Zutan's_ head... I was just a kid when he got to me and convinced me to be his puppet, and I betrayed _everyone_ I loved. Everyone except Rosemary... I couldn't do it. He wanted me to kill her. I let her go and I told you what I'd done so you'd kill me instead. If I was dead, I couldn't be forced to hurt her."

Stone froze. The storm got worse as he struggled not to give in to his rage. He was overwhelmed by other emotions that were equally distressing. _You killed him,_ his mind shouted at him. _You killed_ Zutan, _the youngest of you, instead of trying to find out why he'd betrayed you all. You didn't do it quickly... You beat him to death, slowly, painfully, and kept going even after he was dead. You nearly destroyed Eltar with a storm. You're about to do the same thing to Earth! You're a_ monster! _He's right! He was still a kid when Zell turned him into this! You should have_ saved _him, but instead, you_ killed _him!_

The storm continued to rage out of control. It cleared the last of the smoke from the area. Stone was about to snap completely.

 _Stone, stop it!_ Avona shouted in his mind. _You don't have to give in to this. You are_ not _your darkness, and you are_ not _a monster._

 _Yes I am... I killed him... I killed Zutan..._ He thought.

 _He provoked you because he knew he was dead anyway, and because he was afraid he'd hurt Rosemary. You did what you had to do. Please, my love, calm down,_ Avona begged.

 _It's all happening again... We can't escape from this cycle... It's just going to repeat..._ Stone thought in a panic. He hadn't been this overwhelmed in a long time. Lightning rapidly began striking in a circle around him.

 _Stone!_ A new voice shouted. _Knock it the fuck off!_

Stone opened his eyes and was stunned to see a dragon coming straight toward him. It opened its mouth and fire came out, scorching the ground at Stone's feet. That made Stone stop for a moment and stare in shock.

"Oh, fuck..." Bax mumbled. "Tell me that's not Talon..."

"It's not Talon," Stone said softly as he finally managed to stop the storm. "Just a friend of his." He gently pet the dragon's nose. It bumped its nose against his hand a couple of times before taking off and flying away. Stone felt tears in his eyes. He turned away from Bax. That was when a smaller dragon approached him. The baby dragon blew a puff of smoke toward Stone, making him smile sadly. "Thank you, Little Brother," he whispered. "I'm okay now. You don't have to send anyone else." The baby dragon nodded at him before hopping toward Bax. It flew into the air and blew several puffs of smoke in Bax's face, making him have a coughing fit that knocked him onto his butt. Then, it did something that surprised Stone. The baby dragon hopped into Bax's lap and curled up there, apparently deciding to take a nap.

"Talon... What on all of Eltar are you trying to say?" Stone asked softly.

 _You already_ know, _Brother,_ Talon replied. _Help him. If you give him a chance, he just might get it right this time. And if he doesn't, you have my full permission to kill him all over again_.

 _He_ killed _you, Talon,_ Stone protested.

 _No._ Zell _did that, remember? Zutan was just too naive to realize Zell was using him the entire time... He made bad choices, Stone... But the kid's trying to make the right ones now, and he's a lot better as an ally than an enemy_. _The last time I suggested giving him a chance, he saved an infant's life. I wasn't wrong then, and I'm not wrong now._

 _Do you really want me to forgive him? He betrayed you... He killed Adina! He framed Plurri for all of it!_

 _I don't want you to_ forgive _him, Stone. I just want you to give him a chance to prove that the sweet, dorky, slightly pathetic kid we used to know is still in there somewhere. Zell destroys everything he touches... Don't let him win this one. Save Zutan. If there's anything still worth saving in there, find it, and help him._

Stone sighed. "Very well," he said softly.

"What?" Bax asked as he looked at the tiny dragon in his lap with a mixture of fear and affection for the cute little creature.

"I'll help you... For Liza's sake. However, if you betray us again, what I did the last time will be _nothing_ compared to what you'll face this time."

Bax nodded. "Thank you," he said softly. "I don't deserve it."

"No, you don't... But perhaps you might eventually. Tell me where Liza is. I'll get help to her immediately."

"She's beneath a mostly abandoned building at our base of operations... In Stone Hollow, where Raff's Chapter of the Rebellion used to live. I think Zedd's the only one who can help her, but I couldn't go to him directly without Zell figuring out what I was up to."

Stone nodded. "I'll make sure Zedd knows where she is," he promised. "As for you..." He sighed. He began to cast a shield around Bax's mind. "Zell won't be able to read anything beyond the surface thoughts I'm about to have Aylane plant in your head. If you truly want to change, you now have the free will to prove it."

Bax actually had tears in his eyes. That stunned Stone. "Thank you, Stone," he said softly. "And I'm sorry... About Adina... And Talon... And everything else I did."

Stone nodded. "Time will tell if that's true. Go now. Aylane doesn't have to be near you to do this. You'll be safe to be around Zell in a couple of hours, after I've had a chance to speak with her."

Bax carefully shifted the dragon out of his lap. It continued to nap on the grass as Bax left. Ace returned a minute later, forcing Stone to focus as he spotted Bartello right behind him.

"Bartello, thank you for coming so quickly," he said.

"Of course. What can I do for you, Stone?" Bartello asked.

Stone pointed to the pieces on the ground. Bartello examined them for a moment. "Oh, my..." He said softly. "I believe this may be what remains of Alpha Prime."

"No one has seen him since the Blue Turbo Ranger's son was abducted by him," Stone said. "He didn't return with the boy."

"He must have been at the base when Scarlet attacked," Bartello said. "I'd say this damage was done by a mix of dragons and being trapped beneath the rubble as the building collapsed... My guess is Zell tried to send Alpha out of time but couldn't help him or control where he ended up... He probably flew forward and landed here."

"Is he dead?" Ace asked.

"Technically, Alpha's not actually alive... He's a machine," Bartello said. "However, he's nearly completely fried. He can register he's damaged, but he can't function enough to do anything about it or even communicate properly."

"Can he be fixed?"

Bartello looked the robot over. "I believe I can fix him, if I have the right technology... The repair is going to be quite extensive."

"He's working for Zell," Stone said.

"Alpha Prime is loyal to Zordon and the original Chosen... He just doesn't remember that. Chances are that the boy reprogrammed him while Zell had control of his mind. I'm positive Prime would choose differently if he _had_ a choice. If I can repair the physical damage, I can work on repairing the damage to his programming and help him remember which side he's on."

"Bartello's not just an incubus. He has an affinity for technology," Stone reminded Ace. People tended to forget about that. "He's the best chance of getting Alpha Prime back online and back on our side."

"Ace, do me a favor and call my brother. Have him bring me my tools," Bartello said.

"Sure," Ace said, hurrying off.

Once they were alone, Bartello turned to Stone. "Are you alright, Stone?" He asked quietly.

"I'm fine," Stone lied.

"Stone... I've known you for a _very_ long time. I consider us good friends. I think you know you can tell me the truth."

"Zutan has been reincarnated... As a boy called Bax."

"Baxzon? The annoying little Rebel who was foolish enough to disrespect Vitella?" Bartello shook his head. "It figures. Zutan was a cocky little cretin, too."

"He says he wants my help... He told me where Zell is holding one of the Power Rangers. He asked me to help him stay on the right path this time."

"What did you say?"

"Initially, I damn near wiped out Nevada with my outrage... Then, my brother asked me to help him."

"Talon wants you to help the bastard who betrayed him?" Bartello asked in surprise.

"He always had a soft spot for Zutan... And he believes that his new incarnation genuinely wants to make better choices... So I agreed to help, assuming he proves he's worthy. The moment he steps out of line, it's over."

"How can I help?"

"Just focus on fixing Alpha Prime for now. If you succeed, and if Bax is somehow telling the truth, that will be two allies of Zell's we've taken from him."

"Two _more,_ you mean. After all, you have the twins," Bartello said with a slight laugh.

"Yes, I certainly do." Stone shook his head. "They're not _so_ bad, really. They're overzealous when it comes to blowing things up, but they're not bad kids. Garron nurtured their killer instincts a bit too much, but there's hope for them. They're also smarter than they seem. They're brilliant with weapons."

"Garron wouldn't have taken them under his wing if they weren't," Bartello replied.

Ace returned with Zee and the tool kit. "Oh, cool!" Zee said, looking at Alpha Prime. "Looks like we're staying for a bit, huh, Barty?"

Bartello rolled his eyes. "Go keep the Sisterhood company, would you? You're too distracting and I need to focus. This is delicate work," he said.

"Family reunion!" Zee said cheerfully, running back into the house.

"That boy has energy for days," Ace said with a laugh.

 _"Days?_ Try _millennia,"_ Bartello replied. "I would never want to see him lose that, though," he added fondly. "He's hyper and distracting, but I adore him anyway."

"Come, Ace. Let's leave Bartello to his work," Stone said. "We should prepare something for everyone to eat, and I need to get in touch with Zedd." He led Ace back to the house, trying not to question whether or not he'd made the right choice about Bax. Only time could answer that question now.

 _ **ZEDD**_

He was going out of his mind trying to find Liza. Everything in him was screaming. He knew she was in horrible danger, but there was nothing he could do until he figured out where the hell that monster had hidden her.

The last thing he expected was to receive a phone call from an unknown number. "What?" He answered angrily.

"Greetings, Zedd," a voice said. "This is Stone, of Eltar."

Zedd was confused. "Well, that's a surprise... Can I help you with something?" He asked.

"Actually, I'm calling to help _you_. Someone provided me with information you need... Your girlfriend's location."

"What? Where is she? Who found her?"

"A member of Zell's Alliance is having doubts... And while he may have lied to me, I don't believe he did. She's at Raffitty's old base in Stone Hollow. Do you know the location?"

"Stone Hollow... How did we not think of that?" Zedd asked. "That's probably where Felina went. And yes, I know it."

"Good. Judging from how distressed my source seemed, I suspect she's in very bad shape. I also suspect Zell is expecting you. Please use caution, Zedd."

"I will. Thank you for this, Stone." He hung up, not knowing what else to say. Nothing mattered now except getting to Liza.

Zedd grabbed his sword and the very armor that had once been melted into his flesh. Sage had saved it when she'd regrown his skin, and it gave him courage now. He was about to run into the lion's den. He needed all the courage he could find. Liza needed him to be strong.

It was surprisingly easy to get to the base. No one was waiting for him. He knew that didn't mean anything. Zell would come the moment he sensed him there. Still, Zedd continued to the building where he faintly sensed Liza.

As soon as he entered the area where he sensed Liza was hidden, a dozen spells shot toward him. Zedd dodged most of them, although one connected, sending him flying into a wall. It didn't hurt too much, and he was able to get back on his feet after a minute.

"I knew you'd come," Zell said with a cruel laugh. "Even after all this time, you are _terribly_ predictable, my boy."

"I'm not your _damn_ boy," Zedd snapped.

"Such hostility. Are you _angry_ with me, Zedd?" Zell asked with another laugh.

"Where _is_ she, you son of a bitch?" Zedd demanded.

"You mean my little pet? Oh, she's just beyond that door. I think you'll find I've taken _very_ good care of her."

Zedd didn't take the bait as he sensed something about Zell's energy. "You're not in your true form," he said.

"Very _good,_ my boy! That's correct, Zedd. Unfortunately, I had something more important to attend to, so my main form is elsewhere. I'm a lesser form, but don't think that means I can't destroy you. Trust me, I _can._ " He smiled sadistically. "Just like I've destroyed your _precious_ little Campbell."

Zedd felt his rage threatening to overwhelm him. He took a deep breath before coming up with a plan. "Don't you talk about her like that!" He shouted. Zell watched him in amusement, which was what Zedd had been counting on. If Zell focused on his outbursts, he wouldn't see the strike coming... "I'll _kill_ you if you touch her!"

"Your words are brave, yet meaningless, Zedd. You can't hurt me."

"Really? I did it before, you arrogant son of a bitch!"

"You caught me by surprise. I won't be that foolish again."

"I'm not just a scared kid anymore, Zell!" Zedd declared. "In fact-" He shoved his sword through the side of a very stunned Zell. "I'm pretty sure you'll be fooled again after all." He pulled his sword out, shoving it into Zell again and drawing a significant amount of blood.

Zell howled in pain. "You'll _pay_ for this! I'll kill you both!" He shouted.

Zedd grabbed his arm and drained as much of his life force as he could in one shot. Zell paled significantly as his energy poured out of him. "Not if I kill you first, you fucking asshole," Zedd said with a sarcastic smile on his face. He let Zell go so he could raise his sword again, bringing it down against Zell's neck and swiftly decapitating him.

As Zell's head rolled onto the ground, Zedd looked at the stunned expression on the severed head's face and said, "You _really_ need to stop underestimating me." He kicked Zell's head away from him just because he could. Then, he ran to the door. It was sealed, but with so much of Zell's energy flowing through him, Zedd easily broke the spell. He raced into the room, but froze when he spotted Liza.

She was lying motionless. She was still breathing, but she was covered in too many injuries for Zedd to count. As he looked at her face, his heart stopped for a split second. "It was _you..."_ He whispered in horror as realization dawned. "My God... It was _never_ Xia... It was _you!"_ Lying in front of him was the exact vision Zell had shown him millennia ago to convince him to allow the monster to turn him evil to save his beloved Galaxia from an unspeakably horrible fate.

Zedd broke down in hysterical tears as he knelt beside Liza. He stroked her hair gently. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm _so_ sorry, Liza..." His tears continued to fall, landing on Liza's forehead and cheeks.

Liza's eyes slowly fluttered open. To Zedd's shock, she smiled at him. "I _knew_ you'd save me," she said weakly.

"Liza..." He said softly.

"Kiss me," she whispered.

"Perhaps I should heal you first so we can get out of here."

"Zedd... _Please,"_ she said, desperation in her eyes. "I... I need to feel _you._ "

Zedd already knew what had happened to her. As an incubus, he sensed that sort of thing easily. Still, it broke his heart to realize how close to breaking her Zell had gotten. He pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply. Liza responded immediately, kissing him back hard and passionately, not holding back as she tried to lose herself in his arms. As he continued to kiss her, Zedd began healing Liza. He could feel how severely Zell had beaten her and how much her body had broken down. He healed everything he sensed, not breaking the kiss even for a moment because he desperately wanted to take all of her pain away.

The physical wounds were healed after a couple of minutes. The emotional ones would take longer, but looking into Liza's eyes, Zedd knew she was strong enough to survive this. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she replied. She took a deep breath. "Now... Let's get the fuck out of here."

He scooped her up in his arms. They both knew she was perfectly capable of walking at that point, but that didn't matter. She was perfectly happy to be in his arms, and right now, he needed her there as much as she needed to be there.

As soon as they were off the property, Liza looked at Zedd. "Where to?" She asked.

"My room," he said.

"Sounds good, Handsome," she replied. She opened a portal.

"Are you sure you're up for that?" Zedd asked with concern.

"As long as I don't have to keep it open for long," Liza replied. She laughed as she added, "So hurry up."

Zedd dutifully carried her through the portal. He proceeded to place her on the bed and examine her for any injuries he might have missed. "Zedd..." She said softly.

"I know," he replied, not needing her to ask. He carefully undressed her, gently caressing every inch of her flesh as he made sure she was fully healed. She pulled him on top of her, and things continued from there. Only when they were done did Liza finally begin to cry.

"It's okay," he said softly. "It's over, Liza. You're safe."

"I know," she said through her tears. "I knew I would be, because I knew you'd find me." She looked at him. "I'd really like a shower. Will you stay with me? Just outside? I'd invite you in, but then I wouldn't get any real showering done," she added with a slight laugh. Beneath that, he could see her fear.

"Of course I'll stay with you," he replied. "Always."

Liza showered. She sat with him in the kitchen as he prepared some food. Cooking was still soothing to him, even after all these millennia. He made sure she ate before carrying her back to his bed. It was barely after dark, but she was exhausted, and so was he. Zedd curled up beside Liza, holding her until she fell asleep. Zedd couldn't sleep, but he stayed with her, just as he'd promised he would.

 _ **SAKURA**_

It was time to attempt the impossible. Elgan's soul had recovered as much as it could without access to his proper powers. He looked fairly healthy and kept a peaceful smile on his face. "Are you ready, Elgan?" Sakura asked.

He nodded slowly. "I am," he replied stoically.

"Good. Close your eyes and hold on tight." She began the ritual that was meant to grant him a brand new body that looked identical to the one he'd had before. The body formed easily enough. The tricky part would be making it draw breath and getting Elgan inside of it.

It took several minutes before the body was ready to actually be inhabited. Sakura gently pushed Elgan inside of it, hoping this would work. No one had ever attempted something this complicated before in the Soul Society, but there was no turning back now.

"Breathe, Elgan," Sakura said softly. "Come on... Breathe... Just breathe..."

Just when she was starting to truly worry, Elgan's chest began to rise. It fell and rose again until he began breathing evenly. "My God... I think it worked!" Sakura cried in excitement.

"Did you have doubts?" Captain Unohana asked. She'd come along to assist where she could.

"I did," Sakura admitted, "but not many. I was fairly certain this would work."

Elgan's eyes slowly began to open. He smiled at her as he cautiously sat up. "It appears to have been a success..." he said softly. "I must say, it's odd to have a physical body again after all this time..."

Sakura smiled brighter than she had in ages. "Welcome back, Elgan of Eltar," she said. "I'd like to keep you here until you adjust, but I think I need to bring you back into your realm. I'll stay with you and shield you so no one stumbles across you before you're ready."

"Thank you, Sakura. For everything you have done," Elgan said kindly.

"Are you ready to face your brother? I know this isn't easy for you, given what he did."

"I love my brother," Elgan replied. "I always will... But he has become something that cannot be allowed to continue to terrorize the universe. If I can restore balance by agreeing to return, then it is my duty to try."

"Then come on," Sakura said. "It's time to return to your realm."

 _ **KIZZIE**_

The air seemed thick with magic. Kizzie knew something was going on. "Brace yourselves," she said to the people gathered on the beach around her. The Stone Warriors, Sir Ivan and the Dino Charge Rangers, the newly re-branded Mythical Guild Rangers, B'Danna, Tedius, Vida, Chip, and the rest of the Mystic Force team and their companions, looked at her in alarm. "There's something coming," she explained. "I sense it in the air."

"I feel it, too," Mena said with concern. "She's right."

"What is it?" Chip asked.

"Magic, Dummy," Vida said with a playful smirk. "Seriously, though, what are they up to?"

"I think the Alliance is close by... And they're about to summon a great deal of power," Kizzie said.

"Should I alert Captain Smith?" B'Danna asked.

"He's with Charleigh and her father. Their safety is very important to him. I don't want to disturb him unless it's absolutely necessary," Kizzie replied.

The earth began to shake violently. "Greg? Are you doing this?" Scott asked in alarm.

"It's not me," Greg replied.

"Incoming!" B'Danna shouted as a magical assault came straight toward them. She knocked Greg, Scott, and Van out of the way just in time.

"Neighbelle..." Kizzie said, practically hissing her name. "Everyone, Neigh's magic is powerful. Be careful! Shield yourselves if you can, and don't engage her."

Sure enough, Neighbelle appeared. She smiled at Kizzie sadistically. "Hello, Kizzie, dear. Out for a stroll, are you?" She taunted her.

"Back off, Neigh. You can't handle all of us alone," Kizzie replied.

"Maybe not... But I'm _not_ alone."

Micah, the Alchemist, the Warlock, Brittera, Nedezzo, Lang, Lun, and the entire Greek Chapter of the Rebellion stood behind her. At least a few of them had some serious magic on their side. They began launching attacks before Kizzie could even shout a warning to the others.

"Daggeron! Watch out!" Madison shouted. She dove in front of him, taking a nasty hit from Brittera.

"Maddie!" Vida shouted.

"I'm okay, Sis," Madison replied. She was injured, but it didn't look too serious. "I had to protect my future husband." She motioned toward the ring on her hand.

 _"That's_ a heck of a way to tell us you got engaged!" Vida said in shock. "What the _hell,_ Madison?"

"Awww, congrats, Maddie!" Chip said cheerfully.

"Yay!" Clare added enthusiastically. "You guys are _so_ cute together!"

"I ship it!" Chip chimed back in as he dodged an attack from Lang and sent lightning at him in return.

"You ship _everyone,"_ Vida said, rolling her eyes as she kicked Lun in the chest.

"Thanks. We can celebrate later," Madison replied.

"I'll buy the champagne!" Xander announced as he wrapped vines around the weapon Micah was trying to fire and yanked it away from him. "Nice... Thanks, Mate. I think I'll keep this. The name's Xander, by the way..."

"This truly _is_ a wonderful occasion," Udonna said as she used magic to shield Madison from another attack from Neighbelle.

"Congratulations," Leanbow added as he attacked Micah to keep him from getting to Xander.

"Thanks, everyone," Daggeron said. He looked happier than Kizzie had ever seen him before.

"When did you even have _time_ to propose?" Vida asked.

"We were walking along the beach earlier and he dropped to his knees and the next thing I knew, he had a ring in front of him," Madison said with a big smile on her face.

"That's lovely, but perhaps we should discuss it later, Luv?" Kizzie suggested. "Congratulations, both of you."

The battle continued. Ivan and his team were struggling to hold off the Greeks. Andie was trying to heal anyone she needed to on the North side of the beach. Darcy and Greg stood together, with Mena, Nessa, and Pierce close by trying to help. Chelsea and Logan were battling side-by-side to the South. B'Danna was with the Dino Charge team, dueling against Niko directly. She was doing beautifully. Kizzie nodded with approval as the young warrior held her own against a Chapter Captain. Scott and Van stood with Freddy and Allie near the edge of the water.

Focusing her energy on joining the magic of everyone present, Kizzie cast a powerful spell that knocked all of the Alliance members into the ocean. "Damn, Kizzie... That was impressive," Nessa said with approval as the earth stopped shaking.

"Thanks, Luv," Kizzie said. She paused. "Everyone, stand your ground! This isn't over yet."

The Power Rangers, Clare, Tedius, B'Danna, and Kizzie braced themselves for another attack. At first, none came. Then, a storm began moving in. At the same time, Kizzie noticed the water rapidly rushing out to sea.

"Bloody hell..." She mumbled. "Everyone, get to higher ground!" She shouted.

"What's wrong?" Allie asked.

"It's a tsunami," Kizzie said, pointing at the water as it began to build back up in the distance.

Logan froze in absolute horror at her words. "Chelsea, get him out of here," Kizzie said. "Everyone needs to run, now! I'll hold it off as long as I can."

"Kizzie, no! That's suicide!" B'Danna protested.

"B'Danna of Eltar, I am a superior officer and I'm giving you a direct order. Get these people out of here," Kizzie said firmly.

"Kizzie..." She shook her head. "Be safe. Please." She hugged her tightly.

"I'll do my best, Luv... Tell Captain Smith I had no choice."

B'Danna began leading the others away from the beach. Chelsea couldn't get Logan to move as he watched the incoming water.

"He's in bloody shock... It's his water phobia," Kizzie said.

"I've got him," Van said. He picked Logan up and carried him fireman-style away.

As everyone began to flee, Kizzie focused all of her energy on the incoming tsunami. It was enormous and she knew there was no way she could stop it for long. "Please just give me the strength to give them time to get away," she said softly. If she put up a strong enough barrier, she could probably stop it from completely wiping Angel Grove off of the map, but a lot of people were still going to die, including her. At least it would be an honorable death.

Casting the strongest barrier spell she had, Kizzie attempted to turn the tsunami back into the ocean, hoping against hope that she had enough strength to hold off the worst of the damage.

 _ **PIERCE**_

He looked back at Kizzie and knew what he had to do. "Darcy... Go without me," He said.

"What? Pierce, no," Darcy protested.

"I have to help her."

"If you go back there, you'll die."

"If I don't, _everyone_ will die," Pierce argued. "Kizzie can't do this alone, Darcy. Water is my element. I've got at least a decent chance of being able to stop this thing."

"Pierce, it's too dangerous! I refuse to just leave you here."

"Our friends are in danger, Darcy. Our team needs their leader. It's okay. I'll be alright. I just need you to believe in me."

"I do. You _know_ I do."

"Then trust me. And help them get my brother out of here." He kissed her.

"You'd better not die on me, or I'll kill you," Darcy told him.

"I love you, too," Pierce replied.

"I'll tell you that when you come back to me."

"Deal."

With one last hesitation, Darcy allowed Pierce to leave. He ran back toward the water. Kizzie was doing a great job, but her nose was bleeding. She looked like she was going to collapse under the entire weight of the tsunami she was trying to hold back. He slipped his hand into hers, gripping it tightly. Kizzie looked at him in surprise as their magic joined together and intensified.

"I'm with you," Pierce said firmly. "We can do this."

Kizzie nodded. "Thanks, Luv," she said.

Pierce was stunned as a hand slipped into his free one. He looked to his left. Madison stood beside him. "I figured you might like some help," she said. "My magic's not as strong as yours or Kizzie's, but it's pretty darn powerful, too."

Pierce nodded. He was even more surprised as someone else joined them. Kevin took Madison's free hand. "I was walking on the beach to clear my mind," he said. "I've been here for a bit, and I sensed trouble, so I came to help."

Smiling, Pierce said, "We've _so_ got this."

At first, it seemed to be working. The invisible wall Kizzie had created was stronger than ever, and the tsunami simply struck it and moved upward toward the sky instead of forward. Then, something changed. Zell appeared beside Neighbelle, levitating above the ocean thanks to her spell. He looked completely unstable in ways Pierce had never seen before.

"What's wrong with him?" Madison asked as she noticed this, too.

"His magic... It's trying to leave him," Kizzie said in confusion. "Some of it is trying to escape."

"What? Why?" Pierce asked.

"Because it never belonged to him to begin with... It's Elgan's powers!"

"Why would they try to escape now?" Kevin asked.

"Is it because of me? I mean, Logan and I basically have Elgan and Zell's powers," Pierce said.

"I think it's something else... It's almost as if... As if it senses its true host. I don't understand it," Kizzie said. "The problem is, the magic is tainted by Zell's energy. It needs to be cleansed."

As soon as Kizzie said this, a thick spiral of water escaped from the barrier and headed straight for Madison. Somehow, it cut her. Madison screamed in pain. "What's happening?" Pierce demanded.

"The magic's trying to purify itself... It needs a sacrifice of pure energy to restore it to what it was meant to be," Kizzie said in alarm. "Once it's cleansed, Zell won't be able to use it to hurt anyone ever again... Madison was hurt before she joined us... It went for the most injured person, the one it viewed as the weakest link."

"It's _killing_ her! We have to _do_ something!" Pierce said as Madison screamed.

Kevin looked at Madison. "Madison, stay with me," he said. "Listen to me... You're going to make a beautiful bride."

"How did you know?" She asked.

"I saw the proposal. I was nearby..." He smiled at her in a calming way. "Stay strong, Madison. You're going to be survive this. You're going to be fine." Before anyone realized what was happening, Kevin pulled out a blade.

"Kevin, what are you doing?" Madison asked in horror.

"Tell my team I'm sorry," he said before he slashed open one of his arms.

"Kevin! Kevin, no!" Madison screamed, but it was too late. The water that had been attacking Madison instantly switched to attacking Kevin instead. Kevin held his head high, refusing to scream even though it was clear he was in pain. As the water slammed into his body, he collapsed.

Madison was crying, but she continued holding Pierce's hand, her will to fight even stronger now that Kevin had sacrificed himself to save her. Pierce could feel the energy of the magic changing. As horrible as that had just been, it seemed to have worked. Only Neighbelle's magic was still directly attacking them.

The storm raging around them got worse as Zell lost complete control of his own powers. That strengthened the tsunami. "We can't hold it much longer!" Pierce said.

"Then we'll fight to the very end," Kizzie said with determination. Her nosebleed was getting worse.

Pierce was positive they were all about to die when something extremely unexpected happened. Someone took Kizzie's hand. Pierce followed her gaze as Kizzie looked up at the person who'd joined them. Felina stood gripping her hand firmly in her own.

"We can still do this," Felina said.

"It's _damn_ good to see you, Luv!" Kizzie said.

As Zell collapsed and fell into the water, some of the others who'd been floating nearby dove after him to save him. "Get him out of here!" Neighbelle shouted. "He needs to recover. Get him to his energy tube."

"We've got him," Niko said. The Greeks and several of the others vanished, taking their unconscious leader with them. The Alchemist and the Warlock hesitated for a moment before they vanished, too.

"Neigh... Do you need me here? I've got your back," Micah said.

"I can handle this," Neighbelle said. "Get to safety and make sure those idiots take care of him."

Micah vanished seconds later, leaving only Neighbelle, the storm, and the tsunami behind. "Think you can stop me, Kizzie?" Neighbelle taunted her.

"I think the odds just got significantly better," Kizzie replied.

"We'll see about that!"

"Let's end this bitch," Pierce said.

"For once, we agree, Green Ranger," Felina said.

"Felina? Is that you? Where the hell have you been?" Neighbelle demanded. Then, she seemed to realize what was happening. "You? _You_ betrayed Zell? Wow! I didn't think there were any surprises left in life, but I was wrong!"

"And you'll never get the chance to tell anyone about it," Felina said. She strengthened her magic.

Pierce was blown away by how powerful Felina actually was. He realized he'd never seen Felina at her full strength before. As Kizzie lent her more strength, Pierce followed suit. Madison joined them.

 _You can command the rest of it,_ his mind told him. He understood why. The magic that had killed Kevin had once been Elgan's. Now that it was purified, it would respond to him, at least temporarily, because part of Elgan was inside of him. Taking a deep breath, he reached toward the extra magic. It gave him a power boost unlike any he'd ever felt before.

Felina looked at him in surprise. "Not bad, Green Ranger," she said with a nod of approval. "Now, I need you to listen to me _very_ carefully... Wrap all of that energy up at the barrier. Use it to strengthen the block you've all created. Blue Ranger, I need you to help him. Your magic is gentler, and it will help to calm what he commands."

"Of course," Madison said stoically.

"Kizzie... You know what to do," Felina continued.

"Absolutely," Kizzie agreed.

"On my count... One... Two... Three!" Felina shouted.

Pierce unleashed all of the power he'd tapped into. Madison's power joined his, forming an incredible shield that reinforced the barrier. At the same time, Felina and Kizzie turned the tsunami back toward Neighbelle.

"Impossible! You can't take control of my storm!" Neighbelle shouted.

"Kizzie's stronger than you on her own," Felina reminded her. "Imagine her natural power levels with _mine_ added in and try that argument again."

"You're supposed to be on our side! You're his most faithful! He'll do anything for you, Felina! How could you betray him?" Neighbelle demanded.

"I haven't betrayed him," Felina said. "I simply decided I wasn't going to let another of my friends die because of him." She raised Kizzie's hand into the air. Then, they both raised their free hands up, causing Kizzie to let go of Pierce. That was probably better, as the two Sorceresses released an attack that would have most likely made Pierce and Madison collapse if they'd still been touching them.

Neighbelle screamed as the weight of the entire tsunami slammed down upon her. Her screams stopped abruptly and Pierce knew she was dead for good this time. Kizzie nearly collapsed as the storm vanished and the ocean grew significantly calmer.

"We did it..." Pierce whispered in shock.

Madison looked at Kevin and began to cry. She pulled his body into her arms. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you _so_ much..."

"I'll get him back to the Samurai team," Pierce promised. Years of both Martial Arts training and football practice had made him strong. He knew he could carry Kevin's body without too much trouble.

"He was incredibly brave," Kizzie said softly.

"I feel like this is my fault..." Madison said sadly.

"There was nothing any of you could have done," Felina said, stunning Pierce as she apparently decided to try to offer Madison some comfort. "Someone would have died no matter what. The boy nobly chose to rescue the Mystic Force Ranger. The Samurai are all about honor. They'll appreciate why he had to sacrifice himself."

"You saved us, Felina," Pierce said. "If you hadn't shown up, we would have lost." He paused before adding, "Andie was right about you."

"I did what I had to in the moment. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"Luv, stay with us. Please. Captain Smith would welcome you with open arms, especially after you just saved my life," Kizzie said.

"I'm sorry, Kizzie. I can't," Felina replied. "Not yet. I just... I need time to figure things out. I only came to make sure you didn't get yourself killed out there. You're one of the few friends I still have. I'm not ready to lose you."

Kizzie hugged her tightly. "Our door is _always_ open, Felina. Use it. Please."

Felina nodded. Then, she opened up a portal and vanished. "It was more than that, right?" Pierce asked. "She didn't just do this for you."

"She knew it was the right choice," Kizzie replied. "And she's finally starting to think for herself... She's just not ready to officially change her allegiance yet, but trust me... Felina's on our side."

"Considering what just happened, I'd have to agree with you," Pierce said.

"We should go now," Madison said softly, looking at Kevin.

"You're right," Pierce said. He lifted Kevin up and began to carry him, not sure how to break this horrible news to the Samurai team. They'd already lost so much.

Pierce, Kizzie, and Madison walked in silence until they reached the others who'd been on the beach. "Pierce!" Darcy cried. Then, she seemed to realize Kevin wasn't just unconscious. "Oh, God..." She whispered.

"He saved my life," Madison said. She proceeded to start crying again. Daggeron pulled her into his arms. Vida stroked her back soothingly.

"Then we owe him a great debt," Daggeron said softly.

"He isn't the only one," Pierce said.

"What do you mean?" Darcy asked.

"Felina helped us. If she hadn't shown up, we'd all be dead."

"Felina?" Andie repeated. "Is she alright?"

"She looked okay, and her power's definitely stronger than ever. She didn't stick around, but Kizzie thinks she's on our side now."

"Kizzie... Are you sure?" B'Danna asked.

"Felina's a tricky one to read at times," Tedius added.

"She helped me kill Neighbelle, Tedi," Kizzie said softly. "Trust me... She's on our side."

"Neighbelle's dead?" He repeated.

"Crushed beneath the tsunami, full-force... There's nothing left of her body to resurrect, and because the magic inside of the tsunami was her own, it destroyed her when it attacked her... There's not even a slither of her soul left. I don't feel her at all anymore."

"It's only Micah now..." Tedius said softly.

"They'll _all_ be gone soon, Luv," Kizzie said soothingly. "For good this time."

"I need to bring Kevin back to his team," Pierce said to Darcy. "Vida, take your sister home. She needs to rest."

"Of course," Vida said. "I've got you, Sis."

"Come on. We'll go together," Darcy replied.

"Sir Pierce... Allow me to assist you," Ivan said.

"You don't have to, Ivan," Pierce said.

"I've had to deliver this sort of news many times myself, often with a fallen friend on my shoulders just as you carry this brave soul now. I know the burden you face. I insist on helping you with this."

Pierce nodded. "Okay," he said. He wasn't really sure how to face Jayden and his team anyway. Having someone with experience there might not be a bad thing.

"M'Lady..." Ivan began.

"Go on," Andie said. "They need you. I'll see you later." She hugged him.

As Pierce, Darcy, and Ivan continued walking, Pierce filled them in on the details of what had happened. It was the most depressing walk of Pierce's life, but he had to stay strong. He owed Kevin the dignity of bringing him home to his team, and if Kevin could sacrifice his life to save Madison, the least Pierce could do was hold himself together long enough to inform the people who'd meant the most to him.

 _ **JAYDEN**_

He knew something was very wrong. He could feel it in every inch of his soul. "Jayden, what's going on?" Emily asked him softly.

"Something happened..." He replied.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure yet, Em... But it's bad."

The doorbell rang. Emily jumped. Jayden took a deep breath before standing up and heading to the door. Sir Ivan stood in front of the door. There were people on the steps behind him, but Jayden couldn't quite see them.

"My good Sir Jayden... I'm afraid we have come with rather distressing news," Ivan said.

Jayden braced himself for the worst. "What happened?" He asked.

"Perhaps you should sit down..."

"I'm fine. Tell me," Jayden said.

"Jayden... You should _really_ sit down," Darcy said, peaking out from behind Ivan.

"Jayden? Who is it?" Emily asked.

Jayden sighed. "Come in," He said to Ivan and Darcy. He walked back inside and took a seat beside Emily.

"Is the rest of the team here?" Darcy asked from the doorway.

"Guys! Get in here," Jayden said. "Everyone's here except for Kevin. He said he needed some time to think. He's probably down at the beach."

The rest of the team hurried into the room. "What's going on?" Lauren asked as she noticed the serious look on Darcy's face.

"We have news, and it's bad," Darcy said.

"We're ready," Jayden said. "Please tell us what's going on." He had a feeling he knew where this must be going, but he didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be true.

"There was an attack on the beach," Ivan began. "Neighbelle, the Sorceress, triggered a tsunami with an earthquake and some of her other magic. Most of us were ordered to flee, but those with an affinity for Water remained behind to assist Kizzie in trying to stop the tsunami from destroying Angel Grove."

Jayden was positive he was right now, but he couldn't process it. He looked at the others, who still hadn't caught on. Then, he saw his sister, and he knew that she suspected the same thing he did. "What happened?" Jayden forced himself to ask.

"Pierce, Madison, and Kevin were giving it everything they had," Darcy said. "But..." She sighed. "I'm so sorry, guys..." She looked at the door. Pierce walked inside. He was carrying Kevin.

"Kevin!" Emily cried. "Is he... Is he _hurt?"_ Jayden knew she suspected the truth but couldn't bring herself to believe it.

"What can we do?" Spike asked. Then, he noticed Mia was crying and shaking her head. "Mia? What's wrong? I know it's scary, but he'll be okay... I mean... It's Kevin. He's _fine,_ right?"

"Not this time, Buddy," Antonio said as tears formed in his eyes.

"He died a hero," Pierce said softly. "Zell lost control of the magic that should have been Elgan's. In order to purify itself, the magic needed a pure source of water magic... A sacrifice... It attacked Madison because she was hurt. Kevin..." Pierce paused, taking a deep breath to compose himself. "Kevin sacrificed himself to save her life."

"Of _course_ he did..." Lauren whispered. She was holding back tears, trying to be strong for everyone else, but Jayden could tell how devastated she was.

Numb, Jayden took Kevin from Pierce. He gently carried Kevin to his bedroom. He laid him down on the bed. "You died a hero, like a true Samurai," he said. "We will honor your memory and return you home as soon as we can." He knew the others were watching from the hallway, so he kept a brave face on. He couldn't stand to look at Kevin's body any longer. He turned and left the room, closing the door behind himself.

Emily had collapsed onto her hands and knees. Antonio was trying to comfort her, but even he could only do so much. Mia was sobbing in Spike's arms. Lauren stood, strong and brave as always. "Thank you for bringing him home to us," she said stoically.

"Of course," Pierce replied.

"If you guys need anything, we're here for you," Darcy added.

"It has been an honor to fight alongside this brave young warrior," Ivan said. "I offer you my most heartfelt condolences in this time of grief."

"Thank you, Sir Ivan," Lauren replied.

Jayden knew he should say something, but he had no words. Kevin was dead. _Kevin_. Another member of his team had perished, and Jayden hadn't even been there to try to stop it from happening. His chest hurt, and he couldn't stop himself from thinking about everyone else he'd lost. Mike... Mentor Ji... His father... And even Katie.

Emily was still sobbing, and that was what snapped him back into the present. Jayden took her from Antonio's arms. "Come on," he said softly. He led her to her bedroom and helped her clean her face off. He tucked her into her bed, covering her and stroking her hair until she cried herself to sleep.

When he was sure she was out cold, he left her room. Mia had passed out on the couch in Spike's arms. He watched her with affection in his eyes, but Jayden could tell his own grief was overwhelming him, too.

"Will you be staying tonight?" Lauren asked Jayden.

"I think I should go back home," Jayden replied. He couldn't break down in front of his team. They looked to him for strength. He needed to be allowed to grieve on his own.

"I understand," his sister replied. "I'm so sorry, Jayden. I know you were close to him."

"So were you," Jayden said as he hugged her. "Where's Antonio?"

"Right here, Buddy," Antonio said from the kitchen. He stuck his head out and tried to smile. "What do you need?"

"Watch over Emily tonight. She's having a rough time," he said.

"Of course," Antonio replied seriously.

"I'll be back to check on you guys in the morning... I just need a little time to process this."

"We understand, Jay. Take all the time you need," Antonio said. He gave him a hug.

"Thanks," Jayden replied. He left the house and headed back to his own. When he finally reached the front of the house, he found Kira and Dustin waiting outside.

"We heard," Kira said. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Jayden lied.

"If you need anything-" Dustin began.

"I don't. Thanks." He walked inside. He was grateful that Tommy and Micky weren't home as he hurried upstairs and closed the door to his bedroom. Once inside, Jayden slammed his fist on his bed. He was tempted to burn everything down, but he resisted the urge. Instead, he looked at the photo on his desk of the original Samurai team with Mentor Ji. Now, three of the people in the photo were gone forever. As the weight of that truth finally sank in fully, Jayden collapsed onto his bed and began sobbing softly into his pillow, knowing this was the one place where he didn't need to be strong for everyone else.


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**  
 _ **ZIZI**_  
She watched the energy tube closely. Zizi wasn't sure why it had happened, but somehow, Elgan's half of the powers had abandoned Zell. Now, the Alliance members were taking turns guarding the energy tube as Zell struggled to re-balance himself. He was mostly unconscious, but she could feel his mind racing constantly. He was completely unstable and having constant misfirings that only the energy tube could keep from harming others.

"Zizi... You must be exhausted," a voice said sympathetically. Jezzeff joined her, smiling at her charmingly.

"I'm okay, Jezzeff," she replied.

He waved his hand and manifested two cups of coffee. "Sugar and milk?" He asked as the cups floated in the air.

"Sure," Zizi said with a smile of her own.

He snapped his fingers. Zizi watched milk and sugar pour themselves into the cups. Then, one floated toward her as Jezzeff took the other. He took a sip. Zizi was _fairly_ certain he had no reason to poison her, so she cautiously took a sip from her cup. She had to admit that the caffeine soothed her.

"Nice trick," she told him.

"I learned to conjure millennia ago. My closest friend taught me a few tricks. He was far more gifted at it, but I gained a better grasp of it after he perished," Jezzeff replied.

"How did he die?"

"I killed him." He paused. "I suppose I could have lied, but we're on the same side here, right? I never wished to harm Vee, but Great Zell made it clear it was the only way to stay on the necessary path."

"You killed your own best friend?" Zizi whistled. " _That's_ commitment." Internally, she was horrified by how casual Jezzeff sounded as he confessed to his crime.

"It was necessary," Jezzeff said with a shrug.

"I get it. My mother wasn't the mushy sort. She'd have done the same thing." _Unless it was Rupi... I think..._ Zizi added silently. Her mother's only hint of humanity tied back to Rupi, and no matter how awful she had been, Zizi was pretty sure hurting Rupi was the one line she wouldn't have crossed.

"Are you alright, Zizi? You look like your mind wandered a bit," Jezzeff said with apparent concern.

"I'm fine," Zizi replied. "Just thinking about my uncle. I miss him." She wasn't sure why she'd admitted that, but she didn't see the harm. Everyone knew she'd loved her uncle, even Zell.

Jezzeff looked sympathetic. "That must have been a difficult loss so soon after your mother. She was quite gifted, you know. I was always impressed with her. Rupi was a lovely young man as well. Gifted and loyal... It's tragic how things ended for them." He reached toward her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Zizi was surprised by how soothing his touch was.

For a split second, an image flashed in her mind. _She was in Jezzeff's arms, sobbing_. _"He's_ gone, _Jezz... Zutan has perished," she said softly as he held her_.

Zizi jumped back from him. "Zizi? Are you well? What's wrong?" Jezzeff asked.

"I... I don't know," Zizi replied. She took a deep breath. "I think you're right about me being exhausted."

"Allow me to take over here. Go and rest. You'll feel better after being away from this for a bit," Jezzeff said soothingly.

 _I'm so sorry for your loss, Rosemary, dear... If there is anything I can do to help you through this, please let me know, Jezzeff said soothingly._

 _His arms felt incredibly safe. Her brother was gone, but she wasn't alone in the world. She had Jezzeff. She'd always been fond of him, and he was being so sweet to her now... She snuggled against him, desperately seeking comfort in her extreme grief. A part of her had died... The very person who had brought her back to life against all odds... The boy who'd stubbornly refused to listen when his older, wiser friends and co-workers told him she was already gone and nothing could be done... The boy who'd insisted his parents take her in because he had saved her life and she had no one else to care for her..._

 _Jezzeff sensed her distress and held her closer. "I am here, darling Rosemary... I cannot fill the void you feel... However, I grieve by your side. He was a dear friend of mine," he said softly._

 _"I feel so lost..."_

 _"I know... Allow me to help you find your way through this tragedy." He stroked her hair soothingly as Zutan used to do when she was frightened or sad. She wept in his arms, desperately clinging to him as though he were the only light in a world of darkness._

Zizi tensed as the vision ended. She looked into Jezzeff's eyes and saw the same concern he'd worn in her vision. _What's going on?_ She wondered. _Who was Rosemary? And why do I feel like all I want to do is let Jezzeff hold me and tell me everything is going to be alright? I'm losing it_.

"Zizanyah..." Jezzeff hesitated before gently reaching toward her face and brushing some of her hair out of the way. She was trembling. "Zizi, what is it? What troubles you so?" He asked.

"I... I'm a bit cold," Zizi lied. She was usually better at that, but the shock of his touch had nearly made her gasp.

Jezzeff automatically pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. The gesture was so unexpectedly kind coming from one of Zell's minions, Zizi didn't know what to think. She was still trembling. Jezzeff pulled her closer, holding her to try to warm her up. "You're still trembling quite violently... Are you feeling ill? Perhaps I should walk you back to your room. Do you need me to call on the Alchemist? She has an immense amount of medical knowledge... She is the closest thing to a proper doctor the Alliance has. I am certain she can assist you."

Zizi barely heard him as she lost herself for a moment in his embrace. It was extremely comforting, and yet, she was terrified. What was going on? Why did his arms feel so familiar? She couldn't form words to offer up a proper response because of how confused her mind was becoming, so she simply allowed him to hold her.

Suddenly, a vase flew through the air straight at Jezzeff's head. _Snap_ out _of it, Zizanyah!_ A voice shouted.

 _Mother?_ Zizi thought in surprise as she gained enough awareness to pull Jezzeff out of the way of the attack.

"What was that?" Jezzeff asked in shock as the vase shattered against the wall that his head had been in front of.

Zizi stared at the shards of the vase in confusion. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yes... Thank you. That would have given me _quite_ the headache," Jezzeff said with a slight laugh. "Your reflexes are impressive, but... I do not understand how that just happened."

"It was the ghosts," Shaniece said from the door. "Great Zell and I thought they were all gone, but it seems one of them has returned. I heard the crash and hurried here... Are you both alright?"

"We're fine," Zizi said. She was still confused, but she'd heard her mother clearly. There was no denying who had launched the attack at Jezzeff.

 _"I'm_ fine. _You're_ still a bit shaky," Jezzeff pointed out. "I really must insist you let the Alchemist look you over. You may be coming down with something."

"Earth's illnesses don't usually affect me," Zizi replied. "After all, I have an Eltarian immune system."

"There are many people here from Eltar, Zizi," Jezzeff said practically. "Any one of us could have brought an illness back with us... There are also people who were on other planets who have been making their way here, such as Maegus, Grayzee, and Branz. I understand the three of them have traveled all over. Who knows what they have been exposed to? Please humor me and allow the Alchemist to evaluate your health." He still looked genuinely concerned.

Zizi sighed. "Alright," she agreed. "But who's going to watch over our fearless leader? He's still basically comatose, and the misfirings are getting worse," she said.

To prove her point, Zell misfired again, zapping the glass of the energy tube so hard it actually left scratches on it. Jezzeff frowned. "Shaniece... Please bring the Alchemist here. We may need her help on more than one point," he said.

"Of course," Shaniece replied. She hurried off.

"Sit down, Zizi," Jezzeff said gently. He motioned toward a chair. Zizi decided it was better not to protest since her legs felt a bit unstable. He helped her sit down.

Zell misfired again. This time, a slight crack appeared in the glass just as the Alchemist and the Warlock returned with Shaniece.

"That's problematic..." The Alchemist said, looking at the energy tube. She shook her head and walked closer to it, examining it. "Everyone, stand back."

The Warlock moved everyone back. He didn't ask why Zizi didn't stand up, but moved her chair back for her. Once he had them all at a safe distance, he nodded at the Alchemist.

The Alchemist touched the energy tube. Zizi watched in mild fascination as it began turning to solid gold. A window remained as pure glass so they could still see inside. "Warlock..." The Alchemist called.

He walked over to her and touched the window, not needing to be told what she wanted him to do. He reinforced the glass, ensuring it would not easily shatter by adding several layers to it.

"That's impressive," Shaniece said with admiration. "Will it work?"

"It should hold for a while... I can't promise it will last long-term. I would have encased the entire tube in gold, but then we wouldn't know if he fell into further distress," the Alchemist explained. "This should protect us for now, and hopefully, he'll awaken before even _this_ fails us. Once he does, I shall create a door so he may emerge."

"Alchemist... If it doesn't trouble you too much, I require your assistance for one other thing," Jezzeff said.

"Of course, Jezzeff. What seems to be the problem?" The Alchemist asked.

"Zizanyah isn't feeling well. She's been trembling, even after I put my jacket on her. I am concerned she may be ill."

The Alchemist looked at Zizi. "Alright, I'll examine her. Come, Zizanyah. We shall do this in private," she said firmly. She took Zizi's arm and helped her stand up, guiding her away. When they reached Zizi's room, the Alchemist helped her sit down before closing the door. "Is trembling your only symptom?" She asked.

"I... I'm not sure," Zizi replied.

The Alchemist shrugged. "We'll run a variety of tests then." She pulled the supplies she needed out of thin air, a trick she used often. Zizi knew the Warlock had created countless pocket realms for her to store things in that she could access whenever she needed to. The exam started off fairly normal. She didn't have a fever. Her glands were not swollen. Her throat, ears, and nose were clear. Her blood pressure, oxygen levels, and blood sugar were all in the ideal range.

"Hmmm... None of the traditional physical symptoms are an issue," the Alchemist said. "Unless... One moment." She manifested a needle and pulled out some blood, putting it into a tube before adding a chemical compound. She paused. "Ah... You are not pregnant, either."

"Of course not. I've been with the Alliance. I'm not exactly sleeping around," Zizi pointed out.

"I was simply ruling out the logical causes. Besides, the way Baxzon and several of the other men here fall all over themselves around you, you certainly have options," the Alchemist said practically.

"I also have _taste,"_ Zizi said.

The Alchemist actually cracked a very slight smile at that comment. Zizi was pretty sure she'd never seen that woman smile before. It softened her features a bit. "Fair enough," she said with a nod.

"Alchemist... You are here as a medical professional right now, right? Can I... Can I confide something in you without worrying about you betraying me for your own benefit if the opportunity arises?"

"Probably not," the Alchemist replied calmly. "Not one of us can trust the others, Zizanyah. I am certain you're wise enough to know that. However, you really don't have any other choice if you want my assistance. I cannot help if I do not have all of the facts. So, go ahead."

"I appreciate the honesty... And you're right," Zizi said with a sigh. "I was talking to Jezzeff and I started having these... _Flashes._ "

"What sort of flashes?" The Alchemist asked. "Visions?"

"No, not visions," Zizi said quickly. "I don't see the future." One of her powers was, in fact, being a Seer, but Zizi wasn't dumb enough to let that slip. _Everyone_ knew how Zell felt about Seers. Zizi wasn't trying to end up having an unfortunate _accident_. "It was more like... A memory? I don't know. I've never met him before, but..."

 _Why are you trusting her? You_ know _the Alchemist is evil,_ Zizi thought. Unfortunately, she was desperate, and although she knew a lot of the people in the Alliance well, she didn't really trust any of them fully. Normally, she would have trusted Maegus and his buddies, but even they seemed completely loyal to Zell. She couldn't be sure they wouldn't betray her in the end.

"Go ahead, Zizanyah. I can sense your distress. That is highly unlike you, so for now, this shall remain between us," the Alchemist coaxed her.

 _Fuck it,_ Zizi thought.

"No one knows how old you and the Warlock are, but even if you weren't around for this, you tend to know things... Does the name Rosemary mean anything to you?"

The Alchemist looked at her in surprise. "Yes," she replied. "Rosemary was the sister of Zutan, a member of Zell's Elite Counsel. The boy had the powers of Air, and when the child's entire family perished in a fire, he literally breathed life back into her and managed to revive her after everyone else had given up. The story made him a bit of a legendary hero on Eltar. His family adopted her."

Zizi was shaking again. The Alchemist had just confirmed some of the information that had popped into her mind during the vision. "Did she have a connection to Jezzeff?" She asked.

"You _might_ say that," the Alchemist replied darkly.

"What was it?"

"Jezzeff married the girl. He helped her through her grief after Zutan perished in a storm and they grew quite close after that. Rosemary perished decades before Jezzeff did. Veevrant moved in with Jezzeff to comfort him... They both joined the Rebellion. Veevrant was Jezzeff's closest friend. Garron ordered Jezzeff executed after he murdered Veevrant in his sleep. The Rebellion does not condone turning on each other, after all."

A chill ran down Zizi's spine. Her chest hurt. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She felt like hands were wrapping around her throat and cutting off her entire air supply.

"Zizanyah... _Breathe,_ Child..." The Alchemist said in confusion. When Zizi still couldn't manage it through the blind panic suddenly overwhelming her, the Alchemist shouted, _"Zizi!_ Focus." She shoved a golden talisman into Zizi's hands.

The sense of being strangled vanished. Zizi struggled to catch her breath. She was still panicking, unable to make sense of what was happening. As the Alchemist reached toward her, Zizi launched an attack as a reflex.

The water which manifested in the air built a wall around Zizi. The Alchemist jumped back in surprise. She watched closely as the water began dancing in spirals around Zizi. Forcing herself to calm down, Zizi began releasing the energy, which caused the water to dance around the Alchemist as well. It became almost playful as it surrounded her.

The Alchemist didn't seem to be breathing as she watched the water. She hesitated before reaching toward it. Upon touching it, she gasped in surprise. The water wrapped around her, almost as if to hug her, before it vanished. She was soaking wet.

"Sorry," Zizi said softly. "I guess I lost control for a minute there. Here... Let me dry you off." She automatically began calling the water back, effectively drying the Alchemist's clothes.

The Alchemist was staring at her now. "Elgan..." She whispered.

"What?" Zizi asked.

The Alchemist shook her head. "Who is your father, Child?"

"It's well-established that I don't know," Zizi reminded her. "My mother refused to tell me."

"Do _not_ lie to me!" The Alchemist snapped. "You're _Rey's,_ aren't you? Zydia was assigned to the Counsel Building once, not long before you came along... The Prime Minister has _two_ daughters, not one."

She wanted to lie, but she knew the Alchemist wouldn't believe her if she did. _I'm so fucked_ , Zizi thought. This was the last thing she wanted Zell to find out... But how had the Alchemist figured it out?

"How could you _possibly_ know that?" Zizi asked softly.

"Because I've seen that magic before. I know it, and it knows me..." She shook her head. "Damnit! What the hell were you _thinking_ joining the Alliance? He'll _kill you_ if he discovers the truth of your heritage, you _foolish_ child!"

Zizi was surprised by her reaction. "No offense, but why should you care about what happens to me?"

"I _don't_ ," the Alchemist lied.

 _"Now_ who's lying?" Zizi pushed.

"You come from Elgan's line... Your blood is precious." The Alchemist shook her head. "You have to leave this place, Zizanyah. It is only a matter of time before he learns the truth. You won't be safe here."

"I can't leave."

"I know you are not loyal to him. The Warlock and I have known that since the day you arrived. You are very good at what you do, but the simple truth of the matter is, Zell left your uncle to die. You would _never_ work for him after that, nor would your mother. Your story made no sense, but Zell's ego kept him from seeing that. He believes everyone wants to become his minion because he is some great savior and leader... When the truth is, he's a _monster_."

Zizi was stunned by the venom in the Alchemist's words as she spoke about Zell. Hearing a woman who slaughtered innocent people just to make golden weapons out of their flesh call _Zell_ a monster said a lot. "I'm here to try to stop him," Zizi admitted, realizing there was no point in lying to her anymore. "But why are _you_ here? You and the Warlock are strong, and you're too smart to work for him. You know what he is, and you obviously hate him... And you don't need him. There's nothing he can do for you that you can't do on your own. So why are you part of the Alliance?"

The Alchemist sighed. "For the same reason _you_ are, Zizanyah... We're here to stop him... And _no one_ must know."

"Then why did you admit it to me?"

"Because you are the Daughter of Rey... And the granddaughter of Elgan... And if there is anyone in this universe I can trust with the truth, it is _you._ " She shook her head. "You must guard this secret with all that you possess, Zizanyah. It is vital he never know the truth, or all of this shall have been for nothing."

"All of what?"

"The slaughters. The dark magic... Becoming evil."

"What?" Zizi asked in shock. "Are you saying you turned evil to stop Zell? How does _that_ make sense?"

"Once, a very long time ago, the Warlock and I did not exist. Instead, there were two children... Maizon and Eva Leigh... An abused little boy and the rather lonely Prime Minister's Daughter... And Elgan brought light into both of their lives. They were good... _Pure_ good. Innocent, and kind... And even in the face of horrible things, they remained that way... Then, that _monster_ murdered his brother in cold blood, stealing his power and life force and destroying the man they loved so much in a quest to take over the entire Universe. Eva Leigh and Maizon were weak in comparison to that monster, however, they wanted to avenge Elgan... So they came up with a plan to gain powers Zell would never expect... And they gave up everything they believed in to do it. They sacrificed their light to put an end to his darkness... And the Alchemist and the Warlock were born."

"Holy shit..." Zizi mumbled.

"So you see, Zizanyah... _Everything_ we have done... Every evil act to gain power, every murder, every unspeakable crime we have committed was to _stop_ that son of a bitch, and I _refuse_ to let the plan fail when we're so damn close."

Zizi nodded. "He can't read my mind," she promised. "My mother was an expert at locking down her thoughts, and I'm just as good at it. I can help you guys... Just tell me what I need to do."

"Stay out of our way. That will suffice." The Alchemist paused. "Do you think you were Rosemary? Is that what the vision told you?"

"I told you I don't have visions."

"And _I_ told _you_ not to lie to me. I won't betray you, Zizanyah... I _can't_. Just as I won't harm Mena."

"Alright, fine. Yes, I have visions... That's sort of how I screwed up Zell's plans for the Children of the Flame." She had officially decided to trust the Alchemist, as insane as that was. "I broke in on the spell and gave them a choice."

"Ah... I _had_ wondered why they had free will," the Alchemist said with a nod. "Nicely done."

"I'm still confused, but... What I saw did feel like a memory," Zizi admitted. "How did Rosemary die?"

"No one knows for certain. Records show she simply stopped breathing in her sleep. Jezzeff was devastated, or so he claimed. It's hard to say for sure. I'm sure you've noticed how well he lies."

"Part of me wants to trust him... To give in and just let him comfort me... Which is not like me at all."

"You must _not_ trust that man, Zizanyah."

"I think my mother agrees with you... She threw a vase at his head and yelled at me to snap out of it."

"I see Zydia has not changed, even in death." The Alchemist nodded. "Your mother was wise, Zizanyah. You should heed her advice on this."

"I don't get it... Zell said the spirits had vanished. Shaniece backed up his claim... Why would my mother come back?"

"Because you were in danger, of course."

"Yeah, but her sense of self preservation was stronger than anything. She's never been maternal. Why would death change that?"

"Perhaps it did not... That doesn't mean she won't feel the need to protect you. After all, Zizanyah... You are Zydia's legacy. You are how she will live on in this world."

"I'm _nothing_ like my mother," Zizi said sharply.

"On the contrary. I have known your mother for quite some time, Zizanyah... You are very _much_ like her in many ways. You are smart, stealthy, and stubborn, to name a few." She paused. "You have the best parts of Zydia inside of you... And I believe the parts which come from your father are what led you down a better path... Zydia wasn't always as evil as she became in the end, you know. There was a time when she wouldn't have harmed innocents unless she had absolutely no choice."

"Killing the children at the Counsel Building was my mother's idea, right? Garron was an asshole sometimes, but I know he didn't think that up on his own. _She_ was the sort to see them as bargaining chips instead of innocent little kids."

"I cannot say for certain. The Warlock and I did not witness that pointless slaughter."

"Are you saying you wouldn't have done it yourselves?"

"Not without reason. I've killed people of all ages, Zizanyah. When I say we turned evil, I freely admit I mean that in every possible way... However, there is _always_ a purpose. I _despise_ senseless slaughter."

"Why didn't you take their bodies for parts if it was such a waste?"

"I gathered the fallen foot soldiers. They were better specimens for me to work with. The children may have been especially pure and potent, but I did not agree with what happened to them, and their collective trauma probably tainted them anyway." She shrugged.

"Alchemist... You and the Warlock never claimed credit for any of the murders that day."

"We did not."

"So... What is it you _were_ doing there?"

"That is not something you need to know, Zizanyah, and I will not lie but I also will not answer your question."

"It was worth a shot." Zizi flashed her a grin.

"You should rest... Gather your strength... And do your best to stay away from Jezzeff, since he clouds your senses."

"Thanks. Will you tell him it's just extreme exhaustion or something? So he leaves me alone for a bit?"

"Certainly." With that, the Alchemist collected her supplies and left the room.

Zizi shook her head. "Jesus Christ..." She mumbled. Of everything she'd imagined for the possible origins of the Alchemist and the Warlock, that had never been on her list. She curled up on her bed, trying to sort through everything she'd just learned.

"Mother... If you're still around... Thanks," Zizi said softly. "I have a feeling I'm going to need a lot of help to keep my head on straight when it comes to Jezz for a while until I sort out the memories and understand what happened." She wasn't sure why it felt so natural to shorten his name. She suspected Rosemary had often used the nickname, and that others had generally called him that as well, but now everyone seemed to call him Jezzeff.

There was no response from her mother, but Zizi sensed she'd heard her.

 _ **MAEGUS**_

There was great chaos among the Alliance members. They were breaking off into smaller groups, fighting for power now that Zell was in no shape to lead. "I say we take a vote," Shaniece suggested diplomatically.

"A _vote?_ Come on, People! _I_ should be in charge. I have the largest number of people here who answer to me already," Niko argued.

"That _doesn't_ mean you should lead. I've shown I have what it takes to do whatever is needed to get things done," Micah countered.

"And your entire Chapter's dead except for Tedius now," Branz pointed out helpfully. _"Great_ leadership, Micah. _Really._ Spectacular!" He applauded for effect.

"He's _right_ , you know," Grayzee said with a laugh. "I think you're disqualified."

"Shut up. We don't even know that Neighbelle's dead for certain," Micah argued.

"She is. I've seen it," Jaybert said quickly. "Kizzie and the others somehow turned the tsunami around and crushed her with it. I don't know where they found the power, but I know that much... Anyway, while we're discussing possible leaders, _I_ have enormous power and possess Zell's affinity for visions. _I_ should lead us."

"Yes, you have visions because a _vizu_ induced them in you... And he _also_ induced madness. Your entire Chapter's dead except for Laby, who killed you and probably only survived because he's _immortal_ , so, again... You should be disqualified," Branz said.

"You forgot B'Danna, but I'd still have to agree," Grayzee chimed in. "I propose a new rule... If you betrayed the Rebellion Chapter you were in charge of and got most of them killed, you are automatically disqualified from leading the Alliance in Great Zell's absence. All in favor?"

Several people agreed. "That's most of us, then," Maegus said. "Rotten luck, Lads. Maybe next time," he added cheerfully.

"We _do_ need a leader, though," Niko pushed. "And, seeing as how not only is my entire Chapter still alive, but they are loyal enough to have followed me here, I think I am an excellent candidate."

"You are indeed, Lad," Branz said. "Your Chapter is full of brilliant ideas and has a proven track record... You turned your cover into a way to lure the corrupt people straight to you, which was efficient and clever... And you throw the _best_ parties next to Tinny. However, it's not a _true_ vote until others run against you. So, who else thinks they'd make a good leader?"

"I humbly submit myself into the running," Arabella said. "I was able to come join the Alliance without resorting to slaughtering those who did not wish to follow, and Katrice, Gabritto, and I have launched several attacks against the enemies of the Alliance since our arrival."

"You didn't slaughter them because you are a coward," Britterra said. "My Chapter was not afraid to do what we needed to follow Great Zell. We killed all those who opposed us!"

"Pity, that. Wu was a great man," Maegus said sadly. "If only he had chosen differently and joined us..."

"I should lead! I stood up for what was necessary!" Brittera continued.

 _"None_ of you should lead!" Katherine argued suddenly. "I am his _daughter!_ This Alliance is _my_ legacy! No one else has a right to be in charge!"

"Oh, Kitty Kat... _No one_ thinks _you_ should be in charge, I'm afraid," Branz said.

" _Don't_ call me that!" She snapped.

"Katherine... He's correct. You don't have the sense to lead," the Alchemist said as she joined them. "Anyone who suggests otherwise is a fool."

"How _dare_ you?!"

"You would lead us all straight into the grave. None of us have time to waste even _entertaining_ the idea of you being in charge. Now, let us move on."

"Are _you_ running for leadership, Alchemist?" Grayzee asked.

"Certainly not, although I'd do a _far_ better job than anyone else here. I simply have no interest in being responsible for you imbeciles."

"My friends..." Jezzeff said softly. Everyone turned to look at him. Jezzeff could be as soft-spoken as Zell at times, and the cadence of his voice was sometimes nearly as soothing. Maegus was impressed. It was almost uncanny. The boy had certainly learned a lot from his master.

Realizing he had their attention, Jezzeff said, "It is clear we need a leader who can keep a cool head in an emergency. Many of you are certainly qualified, however, I think it is clear who Great Zell would choose to lead in his unfortunate absence. I am certainly not as powerful as our Great leader, however, I hold his mission closer to my heart than any of you. Like Jaybert, I possess the ability to see the future, although mine is a natural gift awakened by trauma when I was young." He pointed to the scar over his eye.

Maegus knew the story. Jezzeff had gained the ability to have visions after his mother blinded him in one eye. It seemed the universe had given him another way to see because she'd cruelly taken his physical sight from him.

Everyone was nodding as they listened to him. _They don't even realize he's hooked them,_ Maegus thought. In so many ways, the student had become the master. Jezzeff was nearly better at this sort of thing than Zell was now. It was becoming clear that Zell was psychotic and unstable, even to his most loyal followers. Jezzeff, however, had turned into a brilliant sociopath over the years and it was obvious his mind was clear. His cool, rational words and his sympathetic tone were terrifyingly convincing.

 _He should have been a politician,_ Maegus thought.

"If you give me the chance, I can lead us to greatness," Jezzeff promised. "When Great Zell returns, he will reward us gloriously for all we shall accomplish together while he is gone."

 _Make the Alliance Great Again!_ Maegus thought with a smirk. He shook his head. Jezzeff was _good_.

"Jezzeff makes the most sense," Katherine said suddenly. "If none of you will follow me, at least I know _someone_ decent would be in charge."

"Nonsense! Jezzeff was never a Captain in the Rebellion or anywhere else in his life. He's always been a follower," Niko argued. Apparently, his desire for power kept him from being completely charmed by Jezzeff's pretty words.

"I'm with Niko," Bax said firmly. "No offense, Jezz, but you're not qualified to lead us. You're a great loyal little soldier, but that's not what we need right now." That was unexpected. Maegus hadn't thought Bax, of all people, would be able to resist Jezzeff's charms.

Niko smiled at Bax. "Thank you, Bax, for seeing reason," he said. He looked at his Chapter. "I assume you all stand with me."

"Niko... Jezzeff has been part of Zell's Alliance longer than any of us," Phestian said softly.

"Phes! You're my _lieutenant!_ You can't possibly think he would be a better leader than I am!" Niko said in anger.

"That's not what I'm saying. However, in this case, I think his qualifications-"

Niko didn't let Phestian finish speaking. Instead, he shoved him against the wall. "How _dare_ you?" He demanded.

"Niko! Stop!" Dezzanna said in horror. She tried to get between them. Niko shoved her away. She stumbled, but Branz caught her before she could fall.

"Easy, Lass," he said gently, helping her regain her balance.

"Niko, _enough_." Maegus said firmly.

"No! This is between this _traitor_ and me!" Niko protested.

"Phestian is no traitor. Look to Jaybert and Micah for that role," Grayzee said. "Come to your senses, Niko. You do not want to harm him."

Niko hesitated. That was when Maegus realized Jaybert was waving his hand in the air suspiciously. He calmly walked over to Jaybert and snapped his hand at the wrist.

Jaybert let out a cry of pain. "Ah! What the _hell_ , Maegus?" He demanded.

"Stop trying to force him to give in to his emotions," Maegus said calmly. "It's impolite and I cannot allow you to make things worse." He looked at Niko and said, "Go on, Lad. Let poor Phes go now. You may not be the most trustworthy bunch when it comes to most things, but one thing is true about the Greek Rebels... You are fiercely loyal to each other. You won't hurt him because he is part of your family."

Niko sighed. He released Phestian. "Apologies, Phestian... My emotions suddenly ran very high," he said. He looked at Dezzanna. "Dezz... Forgive me. I should not have laid a hand upon you."

Dezzanna nodded before walking over to Jaybert. She brought her foot down hard on his with an angry, "Hmph!" Then, she calmly walked away as Jaybert cried out in pain for the second time.

Maegus could't help but laugh at that. "Well done, Lass," he said fondly.

"I still say I deserve to lead," Niko said stubbornly.

"Niko, I am certain your intentions are in the right place, however, if even _Jaybert_ can control you-" Jezzeff began.

"Don't you dare accuse me of being unfit," Niko snapped. "I may not be able to kill you, but I can make you _wish_ that I could."

"Go ahead and try, Niko. Trust me, you cannot do anything worse than what I survived as a boy."

"Is that a challenge? Consider it accepted!"

"This is why we need a _woman_ in charge," Arabella said firmly. "You boys waste your time and energy on the pettiest things."

 _"I'm_ a woman as well, and I feel I'd be _far_ better at leading than you," Brittera chimed in.

"Please! _Zizi_ would be a better leader than you, and she's practically still a child!" Arabella snapped.

"Why _not_ Zizi? She's Zydia's daughter. That's enough of a resume to impress _me,_ " Bax said.

"Zizi's not even _here_ ," Brittera shouted. "She's sick or something. Leaders don't get sick!"

"Are you kidding me? I recall you sobbing for _days_ as if you were dying the first time you caught Eltar's common cold!" Arabella argued.

"Shut up, you wench!" Brittera raised a spell. It radiated with red magic. She sent it at Arabella, who sent her own spell back in response. That one was a furious shade of dark grey and looked like a thick cloud of smoke. Their spells were about to collide in mid-air and possibly kill everyone in the room when Maegus shook his head and stepped in-between the spells. He put a hand up in front of each one and made a fist. The spells died in place, vanishing instantly.

"There shall be no vote," Maegus said calmly. "I was part of the _original_ Alliance before most of you were _born._ I helped train Zell when he was still a boy. I was trained by the Three themselves, and that means I know more types of magic than most of you could ever dream of. I have far more experience than any of you, and I may in fact be the oldest one here. _I_ am in charge."

"Who the hell declared _you_ King?" Niko demanded. He tried to attack him.

Maegus snapped his fingers. Niko vanished. Dezzanna screamed. "Niko! What have you _done?"_ She demanded of Maegus.

"Relax, dearest Dezzanna," Maegus replied calmly. He snapped his fingers again and Niko reappeared. He was uninjured but looked genuinely terrified. "Now... Does anyone _else_ wish to challenge me?"

Even Jezzeff looked nervous now. "I think you made your point _quite_ well," he said after a moment. "I concede. Maegus is _more_ than qualified to lead us."

"Ah! That's settled, then," Branz said cheerfully. "Shall we have some drinks to celebrate?" He waved his hands and a fully stocked bar appeared in front of them.

"Hell yes! Now, _that's_ what I call magic," Bax said with a grin.

As everyone else decided to take advantage of the offer of drinks, Maegus took a deep breath. Taking control of the Alliance hadn't been part of the plan, but it certainly benefited them. _Hezzo would be proud,_ he thought with a laugh. If he was in charge, he might actually be able to systematically break down the Alliance one minion at a time.

 _ **BRIAN**_

Things were getting a little strange. Pretty much everyone Kira had called had shown up. Power Rangers and mentors alike had come to town. Doggie Cruger was, by far, the most unusual of these. Brian had never seen a talking dog before, but who was he to judge? He vaguely wondered if the Commander played _fetch_ on his days off.

"Penny for your thoughts?" A familiar voice asked.

Brian spun around in surprise. "Mom!" He cried. He flung his arms around her.

"I missed you, too, Bu," she said warmly.

"I didn't think you were coming! You didn't fly, right?"

"I'm still not too eager to try that again," she replied. "The Alphas teleported me here after I made sure your father can handle your sisters on his own for a while... I don't know when I'll be going back."

"I'm _really_ glad you're here, Mom..." He sighed.

"What's wrong, Bu? Talk to me."

"Liza got kidnapped... Zedd brought her back, but... I really like Liza, and I know her pretty well, and she's telling everyone she's fine, but I don't believe her. I wish we'd been able to protect her from him."

"Oh, sweetheart... I know how hard it is when you can't protect your friends from evil..." She hugged him tighter. "But Liza Campbell is one tough girl. She'll be okay."

"It's just... With everyone coming back together, this is starting to feel real, you know? He's back... We're about to enter the final fight... The big one... Bigger than the last one, and look how much we lost _last_ time..." He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm okay." He plastered a big smile on his face.

"It's normal to be scared right now, sweetheart. We _all_ are," she said sympathetically. "But what makes us Power Rangers... Or, in your case, Chosen... Is the fact that we keep fighting no matter _how_ scared we get, because we know it's the right thing to do."

"Which is why everyone's back, even though things didn't go great the last time..."

"And we have even _more_ help. Kira told everyone it's not optional this time, right?"

"Yeah... I think everyone's here now... Except for Kai from Lost Galaxy. He still hasn't shown up. Karone's pretty pissed about that." He sighed. "Did you hear about Kevin?"

"The Samurai? No. What did I miss?"

"No one's completely sure why, but Zell's brother's powers abandoned him during the last fight. Apparently, the powers needed to be purified with some sort of sacrifice... The power tried to go for Madison from Mystic Force because she was already hurt... From what we've heard, Kevin slashed his arm open to get the power to attack him instead... He didn't survive, but he saved Madison's life."

"Oh my God... Oh, poor Kevin... That team has already lost so much..." She shook her head, muttering a soft prayer in Vietnamese. "How is Jayden holding up?"

"He's _Jayden,_ so, naturally, he's thrown himself into training. He won't talk about it."

Suddenly, Brian heard a strange sound coming from nearby. "Mom... Do you hear that?" He asked.

"I do," she confirmed. They both began walking quickly toward it, entering the edge of the woods. That was when they saw something very strange, even for Angel Grove.

Several rocks sat in a spiral on the ground. There was a reddish substance on them that Brian was certain was blood. The rocks radiated with heat, and the blood was smoking. In the center of the spiral was a strange form that seemed to be growing larger by the second. It was cloaked in shadows.

"Rise, my old friend!" A female voice declared.

Brian searched for the source of the words, but it was nowhere to be seen. Cackling filled the air. "Arise, arise, _arise!"_ She continued gleefully.

"Bu... We need to get out of here," his mother said softly.

"Mom-" Brian protested.

"Take my hand. I'll have the Alphas teleport us out."

"We can't just leave. What if someone is in trouble?"

Suddenly, the form turned into a man. At first, he was still basically a shadow. Then, he emerged completely solid. Brian's eyes slowly took in the sight of the exceptionally muscular figure. He couldn't seem to look away from the man for a moment.

The man smiled before motioning with his index finger to Brian's mother. To Brian's shock, she began walking toward him, entranced.

"Mom! Mom, stop," Brian said.

She didn't seem to hear him. As she got dangerously close to the spiral, Brian sent a fire attack at the man. It was deflected as soon as it hit the spiral. "Oh, shit... _We're_ in trouble," Brian realized.

The man grabbed onto Brian's mother. He tried to run after her and felt someone grab him by the arm. "Not so fast, Little Boy," the cackling woman said. He couldn't see her full face behind the hair that hung over it, but the one eye peaking out from beneath her hair was filled with nothing but evil.

"Who are you?" Brian demanded.

"Who am I?" She cackled in response. "I'm the Witch! The Witch, the Witch, the _Witch!"_ She continued laughing. Brian didn't get the joke.

"Um... Okay... Good for you," he said. "Can I have my arm back now?"

 _"Silly_ boy... It's _my_ arm now."

"That's not really how that works," Brian said lightly. "Sorry, but I'm sort of attached to it."

"You're going to stay with me, my little pet... And we're going to watch _every_ nasty thing my friend does to your mommy."

"I won't let him hurt her!"

"Oh, it won't _hurt_. At least, not at _first_... But he does like to wake them up before he kills them."

Brian struggled to free his arm, but the Witch's grip was unnaturally strong. As he looked at his mother, he realized what the man was.

The man stroked his mother's arms gently. She seemed completely under his spell. "He's an incubus..." Brian said in horror. "And not the friendly kind..."

"Such a smart boy! Yes, he's an incubus... And not just _any_ incubus. You are looking at the first of his kind! He's the strongest incubus in existence."

"I... I thought Zedd and Taylor were the strongest..."

"They're powerful... But they're just imitations of this _perfect_ specimen. He'll drain your mommy nearly dry, and then he'll wake her up to slaughter her. He gets off on the fear, you see. It's going to be so _fun_ to watch!"

"Mom! Mom, snap out of it! Wake up!" Brian shouted.

The Witch cackled. "Two for one! I love it when people suffer!"

"No!" Brian shouted as the incubus kissed his mother passionately. He had to stop this... He had to find a way to get past the Witch so he could rescue his mother. He tried to burn her hand, but she just cackled some more and the fire went out before it could even fully ignite.

"I know who you are, _Chosen_... Don't you think I researched what your powers are? I know _exactly_ what you're capable of. More than _you_ do, probably. You're just Quintus rebooted, after all."

Brian knew what he had to do. He closed his eyes. With his free hand, he grabbed onto the talisman around his neck. It shattered in his hand as the duplicate powers rushed into him. Suddenly, Brian's entire body seemed to burst into flames, but he didn't burn. Instead, the Witch ignited.

"You know, on _this_ planet, bad witches get _burned,"_ he informed her as she screamed and struggled to put herself out. He ran toward his mother. The Witch's spell had shattered, so he was able to reach the incubus. "Don't you fucking _touch_ her, you asshole!" He shouted.

"So much _power..._ " The incubus mumbled. He tossed Brian's mother aside, no longer focused on her. She seemed to snap out of things then.

"Mom, run!" Brian shouted. "Get Taylor and Zedd!"

"I'm not leaving you," she argued stubbornly.

"Just go! _Please._.."

The incubus pulled Brian closer to him. Brian tried to set him on fire, and it would have worked, but the incubus kissed him hard. Brian was straight, but that didn't matter as the incubus worked his magic. He was suddenly completely entranced.

"Bu! _Brian!"_ His mother cried desperately. He heard her, but she sounded so far away...

As the incubus continued feeding on Brian's life force, something strange happened. He was certain his magic should be growing weaker, but the opposite seemed to be happening. The fire was burning stronger than ever.

The incubus jumped back, startled. "You can turn into flames?" He demanded. "How unusual..."

"What?" Brian asked. He realized the man was right. Brian was very much on fire, but he wasn't burning. Instead, his very flesh seemed to have become fire itself. "That's new..." He mumbled. If Quintus could do it, Caius had certainly never mentioned it to Brian.

The fire seemed to be clearing his mind nicely, and Brian held onto the sensation, praying he'd survive long enough to get out of there. He moved closer to the incubus, who suddenly wasn't so interested in touching him anymore. Brian grabbed his arm and watched as the incubus quickly began to burn. His body turned to ash.

"Damnit... I worked hard to secure that vessel, but I suppose it wasn't strong enough," the Witch said. "I'll find him another soon... And when I do, you and your mommy will be the first ones to perish." She cackled and vanished into the night.

"Ah, fuck," a voice said. "The Witch is here? That's _not_ good."

"Laby?" Brian asked.

Laby looked at the flames that were Brian and his eyes went wide. "Um... You okay there, Kid?" He asked.

"Yeah... But I don't know how to turn this off. This mode wasn't in the instruction manual when I found out I have powers."

"Try breathing through it," his mother suggested.

"I can't," Brian said. "My energy's all out of whack because he fed on me."

"What happened?" Laby asked.

"That psycho witch lady summoned some sort of incubus. He decided to try and make my mother a snack, but changed his mind and made me the main course instead."

"If an incubus triggered the reaction because he threw your energy out of balance, you might need an incubus to fix you... I could call Bartello."

"No... Call my friend Taylor. Him and his dad can help me."

"Bartello's the strongest incubus I've ever met."

"Yeah, and I'd like to get out of this without turning into a drooling mess. I heard about Lily."

"He knows what he's doing, but fair enough, I guess. I understand why you'd be uncomfortable with a stranger right now. How do I find Taylor?"

"That's easy... Turn around," Taylor replied.

"Taylor? What are you doing here?" Brian asked.

"Brian... Why are you on fire?" Taylor asked instead of answering.

"Incubus. A big, bad, powerful one. Can you help get my energy under control?"

"I mean... Maybe, but... I usually have to touch people to affect their energy. That's kind of hard when your entire body is made of fire."

"I don't think it'll hurt you... If I don't want it to."

"Then I really hope you don't secretly hate me," Taylor said with a nervous laugh. He reached forward, touching Brian's arm. He exhaled as he seemed satisfied that he wouldn't catch on fire. Then, he closed his eyes and began working his magic.

Slowly, Brian's energy calmed down. The blind panic seemed to fall away and his heart rate returned to normal. He looked at Taylor gratefully as the flames vanished. "That's better..." Brian mumbled.

"Let me guess... You absorbed your duplicate powers?" Taylor asked.

"Yep."

"Ollie's going to be jealous. It's just him and Caleb who haven't now." Taylor paused. "Hi, Trini. Welcome back."

"Thanks, Taylor," she replied before hugging Brian tightly. "Don't ever scare me like that again, Bu!"

Brian hugged her back. "You either... A monster almost killed you, Mom! You've been back in Angel Grove for, like, fifteen seconds! That's unacceptable!"

"Well, thankfully, you were there to protect me." She kissed the top of his head. Brian relaxed, knowing she was alright, and praying the incubus hadn't been able to take much of her life force.

"Taylor, how did you know I needed help?" Brian asked.

"I didn't," Taylor replied. "I sensed something... _Strange_. It was like the energy of the incubus drew me here... He was powerful like I've never experienced before. I couldn't stay away, no matter how much I tried."

Brian hesitated. "Taylor... Can you tell if an incubus did serious damage to someone?" He asked.

"Mostly, yeah," Taylor said. He seemed to know why Brian was asking. "May I?" He asked Brian's mother. She nodded. Taylor took her hand in his and closed his eyes. "He stole some of her life force," he admitted, making Brian's heart ache. "I think I can reverse the damage, though. It wasn't _that_ much." He didn't even wait before he started pouring energy into her.

After a minute, Brian's mother seemed to literally glow with energy. Taylor, on the other hand, looked visibly pale. He collapsed at her feet.

"Taylor!" Brian cried in alarm.

"That kid doesn't feed enough, does he?" Laby asked. He shook his head. "He's just like Bartello... Stubborn and always taking care of everyone except for himself. Don't worry. I'll get him to someone who can help."

"Are you going to... _violate_ him or something?" Brian asked.

Laby actually laughed. "I can't believe you just asked me that," he said. "No, Brian, I'm not going to molest your friend. There are other ways to help a weak incubus. My friend Zee has tons of energy to spare. The guy is like a walking battery pack. I'll call him and see if he can portal here and help Taylor out."

"Thanks, Laby," Brian replied.

Laby picked Taylor up and carried him away. Brian took his mother's hand. "Ready to go see everyone else?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'd say so," she replied. Together, they walked toward the training facility, where Brian knew everyone would be waiting for them.

 _ **SAGE**_

It had been a long couple of days. Liza was home, safe and sound, but Sage knew she was badly shaken up. She mostly stayed close to Zedd, although she didn't push Micky away. He was clinging to her desperately, almost like he was terrified if he let go, she'd vanish.

Zedd and Liza sat on Sage's couch now. Liza rested her head on his shoulder as he held her. Micky stood over the couch protectively, arms across his chest, like a bodyguard. Koda sat on the floor, watching the television as it played one of his favorite shows. For once, he wasn't bugging Zedd to translate the _novella_ into English, but he seemed to be following along fine on his own. "Do you guys need anything?" Sage asked.

"We're fine," Liza said automatically. She snuggled against Zedd a little more closely as if to reassure herself of that fact.

Sage gave her the space she clearly needed and didn't call her on the fact that she wasn't quite okay yet. Liza had literally just survived hell, and it had taken a toll on both her and Zedd. Still, she was strong, and Sage knew Liza would come out of this tougher than ever. She just needed a little time to adjust to being safe again. Maybe when she was ready, Sage could help her process what Zell had put her through. It wouldn't be easy to witness, but Sage figured she owed it to Liza to try. She was her friend and her teammate, after all.

As Sage walked into the backyard, she sensed someone watching her. She looked around, but saw no one. "Whoever is here, you probably don't want to have this fight," she said. The property was extremely locked down magically, but that didn't mean no one could walk along the edges lining it.

The energy she sensed seemed to hide itself then. It nearly vanished, but she could still _almost_ feel it. It was almost like it had slipped into a...

"Labyrinth..." Sage said aloud softly. "Laby? Is that you?" She asked louder.

There was no answer. The energy was gone almost as suddenly as it had appeared. Concerned, Sage pulled the communication stone Laby had given her out of her pocket and tapped it twice. "Laby!" She said firmly.

It connected a moment later. "Sage? Is something wrong?" Laby asked in surprise.

"You're not in the woods behind my backyard by any chance, are you?" Sage asked.

"Um... No... Should I be?" He asked.

"I sensed an energy, and it vanished, like a labyrinth swallowed it up. You're the only person I know who can do that so smoothly."

"Thanks for the compliment... The warlock can create labyrinths, but I sort of doubt he'd be able to make one that strong so close to your house. Do you think it was him?"

"I'm not sure. It... It almost felt like... _You,_ Laby. It felt like you."

"I have no idea why. I'm on the other side of town. I asked Zee to come meet me at Captain Smith's place. Taylor needed an energy boost."

"Is he okay?"

"I think he will be... Zee just got here."

"What happened?"

"Brian and his mom... Um... _Trini,_ right? Anyway, Brian and Trini had a run-in with an incubus. Brian's okay... His Chosen powers multiplied or whatever and he discovered a new party trick... But the asshole fed on Trini. Taylor fixed her life force but knocked himself out."

"How's Trini?"

"She's okay... Brian's pretty freaked out, but the kid did good."

"Thanks for the update. Take care of Taylor."

"I will. Be careful, Sage. If I figure out how my energy was suddenly on your property, I'll let you know."

They ended the communication. Sage wondered if the energy was still out there watching her. If it was hidden in a labyrinth, it might be hard to tell, but her senses were stronger than most. She decided to go investigate, figuring if things got bad too quickly she could just summon the Dragonzord.

As she walked through the woods, Sage tried to feel for anything that seemed off. She knew every inch of those woods, so that shouldn't be too difficult. She could feel something when she closed her eyes, so she focused on that, turning toward it before opening them.

A young golden retriever sat on the ground looking up at her innocently. Sage hesitated. "I know you're not a dog," she said after a moment.

The puppy rolled onto its back, looking harmless and playful, as if enticing her to pet it. "I'm not falling for that, no matter _how_ cute you come across," she informed it.

The dog whimpered slightly. Then, it ran into the woods. "Wait!" Sage called. She was still convinced this hadn't been a random stray animal. She chased after it, but it was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, Sage was startled when a fox ran by her in a flash. She stared at it, still trying to figure out where the dog had vanished to. It wasn't until a bird flew by her head and fled high into the trees that Sage was positive she understood what was going on.

"You're a shapeshifter," she said. "Just like Laby."

Instead of giving in and admitting she was right, the bird flew away. Sage might have thought she was crazy, but she knew better by now. "I think we have a problem," she mumbled. Was this new shapeshifter a friend or a foe? It seemed only time would tell on that one, but Sage made a mental note to try and find out. She'd gotten a good sense of the shapeshifter's energy. Maybe she could find him or her in their dreams. It was worth a shot.

"You can't hide from _me,"_ she said. "I'm a _Shaman_."

"You tell him, Girl," a voice said.

Sage jumped. She felt an incredibly dark, powerful energy behind her and stared at it. "Who the hell are you?" She demanded. It wasn't the shapeshifter.

"Relax," he replied. "I come in peace. Um... _Bizzeh mada alebastes_ and all that?"

She exhaled. "You're a Rebel."

"Every day of my life, but especially now." He smirked at her. "Hezzo," he added, shaking her hand.

"Sage."

"I know who you are, Lass. Your reputation precedes you."

"Great. What can I do for you, Hezzo?"

"Nothing, really. I was just strolling through the woods, but it seemed like a good idea to introduce myself."

"Okay, I appreciate that. Which Chapter are you from?"

"They call us the Circle."

"Ah... The ones who freaked Greg out."

"Poor lad. How's he holding up?" Hezzo asked with a chuckle.

"He's fine."

"Good to know." He shrugged. "I thought you should know that they found Prime."

"What? Who found him?"

"Stone, technically, but Bartello's working on fixing him from what I've heard."

"They should have called me. I know that technology. _I_ should be working on him."

"Bartello's what you people would call a technopath. He has an affinity for working with all technology, and he knew Alpha Prime the first time he was around... But he's having trouble. The poor thing's a mess. He was pretty thoroughly destroyed, and Bartello says he's got some kind of magic on him that's making it tricky to repair him. Every time he makes progress, something misfires and fries him all over again."

"Get Bartello in touch with me... Actually, have him come to Angel Grove. I'll hide him and Prime in the Zord bay my team uses and we can fix him together."

"You know Bartello's an incubus, right? A very powerful one?"

"I'm not affected by incubi. I live with Zedd, and I saved him, so I'm quite familiar with the energy."

"Okay... But you've still got _eyes,_ Lass... And Bartello likes walking around without a shirt, especially when he's working with tools. Fair warning." Hezzo winked at her.

Sage laughed and rolled her eyes. "I appreciate your concern. Send him my way. I'm sure I can help him get Prime up and running in no time."

Hezzo nodded. "Good luck to you, then. Nice meeting you... My friends and I will see you around." He walked away.

Sage took a deep breath, mentally adding repairing Alpha Prime to her To Do list. That task was too important to risk leaving to anyone else. And somehow, while she was doing everything else she needed to do, she'd also find time to track down the mysterious new shapeshifter and get some answers.

 _ **LEX**_

That had been _entirely_ too close. Lex frowned as he shifted back into human form upon landing on the property he'd been told to go to. Zell's last message had said he'd know when to show up, and that had been true. He'd woken up with an overwhelming need to leave Eltar and head to Stone Hollow, California.

He looked over the base, which was half-destroyed, and wondered why Zell would choose such a lousy location to hide out. "Whatever... I guess he's got different taste than the Mayor," Lex mumbled aloud. Mayor Freyst had always lived an elaborate life, flaunting his wealth in the face of everyone on the planet.

Lex sighed. He still missed the Mayor. It wasn't that he'd been a great guy or anything. He'd never been especially nice... However, he'd rescued Lex from the streets of Earth when he was still just a lonely, scared, homeless teenager who'd run away from an abusive orphanage, and he'd changed his life. He'd set him up on Eltar, getting him a job and taking care of him until he'd been able to stand on his own. He'd worked at the Counsel Building, close to the Mayor, and he'd at least known his existence _meant_ something... That was, until a few months earlier, when Eltar had been attacked by members of the Rebellion.

 _"Use your powers, Boy. Get out of here," Mayor Freyst said._

 _"Come with me. I can protect us both," Lex protested._

 _"I'll be fine. Go on."_

 _"I can stay and fight with you. Let me help."_

 _"Lex... Please. This isn't a fight you should be present for, but I must defend this building. We cannot allow the Rebellion to win."_

 _"But Mayor Freyst-"_

 _"My boy... You are_ far _too important to risk," the Mayor said, surprising him. "Go into a labyrinth, and no matter what you see or hear, you must_ not _reveal yourself. Do you understand me?"_

 _Lex didn't want to hide, but the Mayor kept pushing until he did. He sealed himself in a labyrinth in the Mayor's office. That was when the rather infamous Rebel, Raffitty, walked into the office._

 _Lex watched in horror as Raffitty savagely beat the Mayor to death, covering his mouth to keep from screaming. He wanted to help him, but the Mayor had been quite clear... Even after it was obvious the frail old man had perished, Raffitty continued to beat him. Lex sobbed quietly, unsure of what to do because, once again, he was completely alone in the world._

 _Another man Raffitty called "Bob" came into the room and convinced him to stop beating on the dead Mayor. He finally coaxed him from the room. Even then, Lex remained in the labyrinth. When some parts of the building became little more than rubble and it was clear the Rebels had finally left, Lex tried desperately to find the Prime Minister. After all, Rey was a good man. If there was any chance of saving him, he had to try. Shifting into the form of a mouse so he could get into even the smallest places, Lex struggled to find any sign of him, but there was none. When the rescuers showed up, Lex had to leave. He found out later that Rey had perished as well._

 _He might have given up, but one of the messages Zell had left throughout time for the Mayor now found its way to him._ Do not give up. When the time is right, return to Earth. You will know how to find me, _it said._

That was how Lex found himself here now. He took a deep breath, not even sure what he was doing. The Mayor had told him over and over again that one day, they would work with Eltar's Great Wizard directly. It was his duty to see it through to the end, even if the Mayor was gone.

"Who are you?" A voice demanded.

Lex turned around to face the woman staring daggers at him. "Call me Lex," he said. "I'm here to join the Alliance."

Her face turned harder. "Is that so?" She asked. Then, she cackled. "So am I! Let's be fast friends, shall we?" She linked her arm through his like a psychopath.

Lex pulled his arm free. "Don't touch me," he said.

"Aw, does someone have issues with personal space?" She taunted him. "Relax, Lex. I'm the Witch. I assume you got a message from Zell? _I'm_ his biggest champion. His antics entertain me. I'm not a minion, mind you, but I did promise if he ever really got into a bad situation, I'd come help... So here I am." She motioned toward the area that wasn't so destroyed. "Come along," she said cheerfully before hurrying toward it.

"This guy keeps bizarre company," Lex thought out loud. Shaking his head, he walked toward the rest of the base.

The man who met them at the door was one Lex recognized. He ran with a group that threw amazing parties whenever they came to Eltar. "Lex, my boy! It's lovely to see you here," Maegus said. He surprised Lex by pulling him into a hug. "Welcome, welcome! To what do we owe the honor?"

"Maegus? You're part of the Alliance?" Lex asked in surprise.

"Since it began. So, you've come to join us, I assume? Splendid! Come on in. Branz is fixing everyone drinks." Maegus paused. "And the Witch? Well, _this_ is a surprise! No one's seen _you_ in over a century! How have you been?"

"Sorry I missed so many good parties," the Witch said. "How's Tinny? And Hezzo? Are they here, too? I'd _love_ to catch up." The way she said it was terribly creepy.

"I'm afraid they're not part of the Alliance... At least not yet. One never knows where the wind will blow those two."

"Oh well... That's fine," the Witch said, walking past Maegus without a care in the world. Lex politely waited until Maegus motioned for him to follow him inside.

"Wow... This is a lot nicer than I expected from the exterior," Lex said as he looked around.

"Some of it was preserved," Maegus explained. "And the _rest_... Is underground and restored. Come on. We stay down there, where we can't easily be detected." He led him underground. The Witch had already found her way there and sat at the bar, doing shots of tequila.

"Should she be drinking?" Lex asked.

"Probably not, but I don't think any of us want to try to stop her. I'm afraid that one's a few screws short of a full toolbox. She's had bats in the belfry for millennia."

"Yeah, the Witch _definitely_ doesn't play with a full deck," Branz chimed in.

"Nutty as a fruitcake," Grayzee agreed.

"Stark raving mad," Maegus finished up.

"Hi, Lex! Good to see you, Lad!" Branz said warmly, giving him a hug.

No one on Eltar knew the truth about Lex's abilities. Mayor Freyst had made it clear to him that he had to hide the more rare ones. As far as people were concerned, he was a fair Sorcerer and little else. It was better that way. Otherwise, they might guess the truth about his heritage, and the Mayor had insisted that would be very bad news for him.

He was welcomed by the others without much of an issue. Lex didn't know who most of them were, but he suspected they might have once been part of the Rebellion of Eltar. The Mayor had warned him they generally couldn't be trusted but that some of them might come to their senses and join Zell's Alliance. Since Lex wasn't one for liquor, he had Branz serve him Coke. It had been way too long since he'd had a nice, cold can of soda. Eltar had sugary beverages, but nothing hit the spot quite like this.

"I'll set you up with a room," the Alchemist said as she joined him while he was enjoying his drink. She looked at the Witch. "Will _you_ be requiring one as well?" She asked a bit harshly. It was clear the Alchemist and the Warlock were not fans of the Witch. Lex couldn't really blame them. She was one creepy bitch.

"I'll sleep in the woods," the Witch replied. "Better than lying here with you dogs and catching fleas!" She cackled again before downing another shot.

The Alchemist glared at her, narrowing her eyes in a way that made Lex want to run for cover. "Easy, Alchemist... You know it's best not to anger her," Maegus said softly.

She paused before saying, "Very well. Just keep her away from the rest of us. I don't know why she's here, but she wasn't invited."

"I find that the Witch tends to invite _herself,"_ Maegus said. "Trust me, I'm not thrilled she's come to join us either, but I do sense Great Zell wants her here. Until he returns, I'm afraid we must accept her presence."

"Come, Lex. I'll bring you to your room," the Alchemist said.

"Thanks," Lex replied. He followed her nervously. When they reached the room, she paused.

"What can you contribute to this fight, Lex?" She asked.

"I've got decent sorcery," Lex said awkwardly. _And I build labyrinths, and I can shapeshift_ , he added silently.

"That isn't good enough. Great Zell recruits people for a number of reasons... What is unique about you?"

"I never met the guy, so I couldn't tell you why he wants me. I'm just an orphan who was raised on Earth until I was sixteen."

"An orphan. Interesting. Yet you are Eltarian?"

"The Mayor found me and told me my parents were Eltarian. He says my father abandoned me. My mother died when I was three. I saw it, but trauma sort of makes it hard to say what happened for sure. I think I imagined most of it."

"I see. Well, there must be something in your heritage that drew him to you. Do not waste this opportunity, Lex. If you prove useless to us, there are consequences."

"Noted. Does this place have a television? Now that I'm on Earth again, I'd love to catch up on what I've missed."

"Is that truly your concern right now?"

He shrugged. "I get bored easily. I'll settle for some good books. I like to read, although I sort of have a short attention span."

The Alchemist seemed to decide she was finished with him. She walked away, closing the door behind herself. "Wow. _She's_ friendly," Lex mumbled with a laugh. He sat down on his new bed, stretching his legs out and putting his arms behind his head. "Not too bad," he decided. He supposed he could get used to this. He just hoped he wouldn't be stuck there without answers for too long.

 _ **MISTRESS CHEETAH**_

She was finally starting to come out of the state she'd been stuck in. Mistress Cheetah's head was fuzzy. She looked at her surroundings before realizing she was restrained to a bed. "Hey! Let me the hell out of here!" She shouted.

The door to her prison cell opened. It might look like a nice, comfortable bedroom, but Mistress Cheetah knew she was indeed a prisoner. The person who walked into the room sent her into an instant state of rage.

"Hey, Lily," RJ said. "It's nice to see you awake and aware."

"You! How _dare_ you imprison me like this?!" She shouted.

"Good morning to you, too. I'm good, thanks. How have _you_ been?" RJ asked casually.

"Let me go, you bastard!"

"Yes, this _is_ nice weather we're having."

"Stop that! Don't ignore me!"

"I'm not ignoring you. I'm just filling in the nice things I know you'd be saying if your head were on straight."

"You can't keep me here. I have powers!" She tried to free herself. The restraints held firmly. She screamed in frustration.

"You have powers. _We_ have _Anise_. You aren't getting out of here anytime soon, Sweetheart, so you'd better get used to it... Unless..."

"Unless?"

"Unless you let us save you."

"There _is_ no saving me because I do not _want_ to be saved! I am Mistress Cheetah!"

"Okay... _Lily."_

"When I get free, _you_ will be the first one I slaughter."

"Sure thing, Lily. Sounds like fun."

"Ugh! You are _incredibly_ frustrating!"

"That's what my ex girlfriends say, too."

Suddenly, she had an idea. "Fine," she said. "If you truly believe you can somehow save me, go ahead and try."

He paused to consider this. "Nice try. Really. But I'm not going to fall for that," he said after a minute.

"Goddamn you, RJ! You want to save me, right? So just _do_ it!"

"I wish I could, Lily. You have no idea how badly I do... But it's going to take more than just me." He paused. "Guys! Come on in!"

Casey walked into the room first. Lily rolled her eyes. Fran was right behind him. "Lily! You're awake!" Fran cried. She ran toward her.

"Not just yet, Fran," RJ said, putting up a hand to stop her from touching Lily. "This is still Mistress Cheetah we're dealing with... But I was hoping, with her connection to the team, that Casey and I could reach her spirit and pull her back... And you're a comforting presence and a good friend, so I think you need to be here, too."

"Lily... I know you're in there," Casey said gently.

"Lily is _dead,_ Casey. She has been ever since that day," Mistress Cheetah replied harshly.

"You're not dead, Lily... You're just in so much pain... I know how much you loved him, and I'm so sorry... We all miss Theo... But-"

"Shut up! Don't say his name! Don't you _dare!"_ Rage filled her entire body. She struggled against the restraints. Finally, one of them broke. She struggled to free herself from the other one.

"I guess that means it's time? I mean... Anise said the spells would only hold until it was time to save her, right?" Fran asked.

"She did, but we don't have our backup plan... Fran, call Sage. _Fast,"_ RJ said.

Fran ran off to do that. Mistress Cheetah stood up and began calling on her powers to attack RJ. She hit him with as much power as she could.

"Ouch! Jeez, Lily, that was a little much..." RJ mumbled as he doubled over in pain.

"Lily, stop it! Please! We can help you. We're here. We love you," Casey said.

"Love is for the _weak!"_ Mistress Cheetah shouted. "It just _destroys_ you in the end!"

"Lily-"

"Get out of my way, Casey."

"No. I'm not going _anywhere_."

"Fine! Be an idiot!" She sent a small attack at him. It wasn't enough to do any real harm, but it did send him into a wall, where he remained pinned so she could run by him and escape from the house. Fran dropped her phone in surprise as Mistress Cheetah ran past her. She made it all the way to the front porch before something stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Lily?" A voice asked.

She stared at him in disbelief. "Theo?" She whispered. It couldn't be true. Someone was obviously playing a cruel joke on her.

"It's me, Lily..." He looked into her eyes, but Mistress Cheetah quickly looked away. It was too painful, and she couldn't identify what exactly she was feeling.

"No! I will not fall for such illusions!" She declared.

"Lily, _look_ at me. _Please_."

"Go away! You're not real!"

"Honey... I'm here. I'm real. I swear on everything we have."

"We have _nothing!_ You're _dead!_ You shoved me through a door and you _died,_ Theo!" The rage was building, but so was something else. She couldn't quite touch it... She felt the pain, but not the emotions that should have been attached to it.

"I'm so sorry, Lily... I _had_ to... I _had_ to save you. I was dying either way, but that didn't mean I had to take you with me."

"You left me! You _left_ me, Theo! You _promised_ you'd be mine forever, and then you _left_ me!" She was furious.

"I know... But someone interfered, Lily. Someone saved me."

"No! I _know_ you were dead! It's been months and you never came back! You couldn't have survived! The explosion went off seconds after you closed the door!"

"There's a girl who can time travel, like Zell does. She pulled me out of the time line, Lily. She got me to some friends of hers, and one is an insanely powerful healer. He saved my life, and then they drank a potion so they'd forget I was ever there... This way no one would find out and try to stop me from making my way back to you."

"Your way back?" She repeated.

"I'm _here_ , Lily. I'm alive... And I came back for you."

Mistress Cheetah was crumbling to pieces as Lily screamed and tried to claw her way back into control. She wanted to remember how to feel... She wanted to love him again... But she couldn't. Her light was gone, and so was her ability to love. Zell had stolen _everything_ from her.

She screamed. Lightning struck a tree and it burst into flames. Mistress Cheetah screamed again and the earth began to shake.

"Lily! Lily, stop, honey! I'm here! I'm _right here,_ and I'm never leaving you again!" Theo shouted.

RJ, Casey, and Fran stood in the doorway. "Th- Theo?" Fran managed to ask. She promptly fainted into RJ's arms.

"I'll be damned..." RJ mumbled as he caught her.

"Theo... How?" Casey asked softly.

"You see him?" Mistress Cheetah asked. "You _all_ see him?"

"He's here, Lily... Right in front of us," Casey confirmed.

She was trembling as she finally allowed herself to look into Theo's eyes. "You're not just in my head... And you're not an impostor..." She mumbled.

He touched her cheek gently. She allowed him to. "I'm not an impostor," Theo promised, looking deep into her eyes. "I'm here, Lily... And I don't know all of the details of what happened to you, but whatever happened, we'll get through it _together._ I love you."

She felt like someone had shoved a sword through her heart. She screamed in anguish, thrashing against an invisible enemy to make all of this disappear.

Theo pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly and refusing to let go of her no matter how much she fought. She felt his jaguar spirit wrapping around her. "With the stealth of a jaguar..." He whispered, "I will _always_ protect you. I will fight by your side, today and always, in good times and bad, through sickness and health... I will honor, love, and cherish you with every ounce of my soul."

The wedding vows came back to her in a flash. For the first time since she'd been turned, Mistress Cheetah felt the cheetah spirit truly flowing through her. She hadn't lost her animal spirit after all... It had simply been forced to watch from a distance while the darkness consumed her.

"With the speed of a cheetah, I will run by your side... Fighting every battle with you, today and always, in good times and bad, through sickness and health... I will honor, love, and cherish you with every ounce of my soul," she whispered shakily.

"Lily Chilman-Martin... You are my heart and my strength, and I'm _not_ losing you," Theo said firmly.

Lily... Because no matter how much she wanted to deny it, she was still Lily... Looked up to see that RJ and Casey both had tears in their eyes. She wished she could cry with them, but she was still evil.

"You _can't_ love me anymore, Theo... Because I'm evil now, and there is no turning back," Lily said softly. "And I can't love you or anyone else ever again."

"You can come back from this, Lily. I know you can. You're stronger than anyone else I've ever met," Theo insisted.

"I've done unforgivable things. I took over Onyx by slaughtering anyone who dared to oppose me. I killed innocent people on Eltar. I destroyed everything good I came across."

 _"Everyone_ has bad days _once_ in a while." He flashed her a slightly awkward smile.

"Theo... I'm evil."

"Because of a _spell_ , Lily. And spells can be broken."

Looking into his eyes, Lily could almost hope... "How?" She asked. "How do we break this spell? How do you cure me?"

"Sage can do it," Casey said.

"But I think _we_ might be able to do it, too. If you connect with your spirit... If you allow the Cheetah to fully merge with you... I think you can push the evil right out of you, Lily," RJ said. "If we can keep you focused, I think you can heal _yourself._ "

"No one's ever come back from this without a Shaman," Lily protested.

"Kendall Morgan did. There are these two people who were able to literally just guide her... And she brought herself back with their help. They showed her the path to the light and one of them helped her cope with what she'd done, and she healed herself. I really think this will work, Lily," RJ insisted.

"What if you're wrong? What if we fail?"

"Then we keep trying until we _don't_ fail," RJ said like this was the most obvious thing in the world. "We're here, Lily. We're not going anywhere. You're not alone. You just need to remember who you truly are inside... Remember the cheetah... Remember the strength of your heart... Remember being a Power Ranger... Remember being _Lily_."

Lily nodded. She took a deep breath. "Remember..." She repeated. She exhaled and closed her eyes before she said, "With the speed of a cheetah... Jungle Fury Yellow Ranger!"

It was slow at first, but soon, she could feel the cheetah struggling to take full control of her energy. The darkness inside of her was incredibly powerful, but the cheetah fought against it, trying to chase it out of her soul. She'd never felt such an intense rush of power before. Then, she felt something else. It felt like her heart was being ripped from her body all over again. Her grief was overwhelming. Not only did the pain of losing Theo hit her, but the pain of losing Dominic, and the pain of having her light ripped away from her, and the pain of knowing every horrible thing she'd done as Mistress Cheetah slammed into her. She couldn't breathe.

"I can't do it!" Lily screamed. "I can't! It hurts!"

"You've got this, Lily," Casey said firmly.

"It's too much! I can't! Just _kill_ me!"

"Yeah, that's a hard _no_ on that one, Lily. Sorry," RJ said.

"Lily... You _can_ do this," Casey said again. "We're here. We've got you."

"It hurts! It hurts _so_ much!" She shouted.

"I know it hurts..." Theo said gently. "But I'm here, Lily. I'm here, and Casey's here, and RJ's here, and Fran's here... Sort of... And we love you, Lily. We _all_ love you... _I_ love you."

 _Love,_ Lily thought. That was what was missing. She felt pain, and grief, and horror at what she'd done. She was mad, hurt, and so devastated... But the other emotion... The one she was so desperate to touch... It was _love_.

"I... I love you, too," Lily whispered. And suddenly, that washed over her stronger than any of the other emotions. "I love you," she said again. Her cheeks felt moist. Lily was stunned to realize she'd begun to cry.

Theo pulled her closer, kissing her. To feel his lips against hers when she'd been certain she never would again was too overwhelming. Lily broke down, and the last of her resistance shattered. She lost herself in the kiss, feeling his energy washing over her.

 _Don't feed on him. His life is precious. You can't take even one second of it,_ she thought. She focused instead on the happiness she knew he felt at having her in his arms. Somehow, Lily naturally fed on that, not touching any of the energy keeping Theo alive.

When he finally released her, Lily felt much more like herself. "Feel better?" RJ asked. "Here." He tossed something at her head. Lily caught it.

"A Snickers bar?" She asked.

"You were cranky," RJ replied with a smirk.

She laughed, and it actually felt _good_. Somehow, Lily knew she'd beaten the spell. She would feel better if she let Sage cleanse her just in case, but she was positive she had somehow saved herself, with a little help from the people she loved the most.

"Who saved you? I have to thank her," Lily said.

"Her name's Eloise. She's a little _quirky_ , but seems nice enough. We can find her tomorrow. She left me because she's pregnant and said her husband or boyfriend or whatever would be furious if she put herself in danger again," Theo replied.

"I don't understand. Why did she save you?"

"She saw the shape you were in, and the future you were headed toward, and she decided to change it... By saving my life, but not in a way that would alter the time line in any way, shape, or form. It was actually pretty clever."

She looked at RJ and Casey. "I'm so sorry for how I acted," she said softly. "I never would have attacked you in my right mind."

"We know," Casey promised. "We're just glad to have you back."

Theo looked at them and asked, "Is Fran okay?"

"She'll be fine," RJ said, glancing at the porch swing where he'd carefully placed her. "We just didn't expect you to come back from the dead, Kid... But I'm damn glad you did."

"Same here," Casey said. He rushed toward Lily and Theo and flung his arms around them both before shifting to just Theo. "It's _amazing_ to see you."

"It's good to see you guys, too... Where's Dom?" Theo asked.

Casey tensed. RJ actually looked like he might cry. Lily's heart ached, but she was relieved to be able to feel it the way she _should_ for once.

"Jungle Karma Pizzeria was attacked... The restaurant didn't survive... And neither did Dom," Casey said softly.

"Oh, God... I'm so sorry, RJ... Oh, poor Fran... This is horrible..." Theo said.

"We'll rebuild the restaurant assuming we all survive this next big fight," RJ said. "We can't rebuild _Dom_ , but... Well, we'll kick a whole lot of ass in his name."

"That's the best way to honor his memory," Lily said softly.

Theo pulled her into his arms again before picking her up. She squeaked in surprise. "Is there a room in this place for me?" He asked.

"Lily's got a room," RJ said with a smirk. "I assume she's willing to share it."

"Definitely," Lily said, wrapping her arms around Theo's neck.

Theo smiled. "Then it's time for me to carry you over the threshold, Beautiful." With that, he began to walk toward the house. He walked up the stairs and inside. RJ patted his back encouragingly as he walked by.

As Theo carried her upstairs, Lily relaxed in his arms. Looking into his eyes, she knew that no matter what else happened, things were going to be okay. Somehow, she'd make up for all of the harm she'd done. And no matter what, she would make damn sure she helped put a stop to Zell once and for all.


End file.
